Checking in on 4 pitchers the Cubs traded away last season

Checking in on 4 players the Cubs traded away last season: #3 - Scott Effross

The Scott Effross trade, at the time, drew the ire of a pretty large contingent of Cubs fans. After all, the rookie right-hander looked like a potential late-inning weapon for years to come - not a veteran on a one-year deal we were used to seeing dealt come July.

Of course, since then, the prospect coming back in the deal, Hayden Wesneski not only made a great first impression after joining the big league club in 2022, but won the final spot in the starting rotation this spring and is coming off a seven-inning effort against Oakland in which he allowed just one run and struck out seven.

As for Effross, he finished last year in the New York bullpen, and was largely as solid as he was with the Cubs. But in late September, he started experiencing elbow soreness - and before long, he wound up going under the knife for Tommy John surgery.

He's expected to miss the entire 2023 season but should be ready for the 2024 campaign. Still just 29 years of age, he should have plenty left in the tank, but with the promise Wesneski has shown in his brief time with the Cubs, this trade has the makings of one Brian Cashman could wind up regretting down the road.