The Chicago Cubs made two major league trades on Tuesday: the big one, sending Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees for pitcher Cody Poteet, and a little one with the Chicago White Sox.
Matt Thaiss, whom the Cubs acquired Nov. 20 from the Los Angeles Angels for cash, was traded to the White Sox for cash.
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It's a rare occasion whenever the two Chicago teams line up on a trade. They have only made five trades with each other in the last 25 years. The biggest was a 2017 swap that saw Jose Quintana go from the White Sox to the Cubs four a four-player package that included Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez.
The Cubs also acquired two back-of-the-bullpen relievers (Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera) from the White Sox in July 2021.
This trade comes less than a month after the Cubs acquired Thaiss from the Angels to bolster their catching depth. Since then, they have also signed veteran Carson Kelly as a free agent.
Kelly, who has a career .224 batting average with 54 home runs and 2017 RBIs over nine seasons (2016-24), is a logical backup to Miguel Amaya. He has more major league experience and offers more upside at the plate than Thaiss, a career .208 hitter with 22 home runs over the last six seasons with the Angels.
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Thaiss posted a .204/.323/.299 slash line across 186 plate appearances with the Angels in 2024. The 29-year-old is out of minor league options. The Cubs would not have been able to send him to the minor leagues without first exposing him to waivers.
With the White Sox, Thaiss offers a left-handed hitting veteran to pair with Korey Lee, who hit .210 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs in his first extended major league action in 2024.
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The White Sox also acquired catching prospect Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet trade with the Boston Red Sox, and have former Angels prospect Edgar Quero lurking in their catching depth chart.
Thaiss could serve as a veteran stopgap while Teel and Quero gain experience in the minor leagues. Chuckie Robinson is the only other catcher on the White Sox's 40-man roster.
Robinson, 30, has 51 major league games under his belt, all with the White Sox and Cincinnati Reds from 2022-24.
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