The Tampa Bay Rays traded right-handed reliever Jason Adam to the San Diego Padres for three minor-league prospects Sunday.
Adam (4-2, 2.49 ERA, four saves) emerged as one of the top relievers available on the trade market. The Padres will send RHP Dylan Lesko, outfielder Homer Bush Jr. and catcher J.D. Gonzalez in return.
“This was an extremely tough morning saying goodbye to Jason, who has meant so much to our organization on and off the field,” Rays President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander said. “But, we are excited to see these three guys we obtained from San Diego grow in our system.”
The Rays have been active sellers as Tuesday’s trade deadline approaches. They traded outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners and RHP Zach Eflin to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Earlier this month, Tampa Bay traded RHP Aaron Civale to the Milwaukee Brewers and reliever Phil Maton to the New York Mets.
The Chicago Cubs also acquired All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday for third baseman Christopher Morel and two minor leaguers.
Paredes is batting .245 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs in 101 games this season. He signed with Chicago as an amateur free agent in 2015, but he was traded to Detroit two years later and made his big league debut with the Tigers in 2020.
The Cubs, who are focused on the future ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, sent Morel and right-handers Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson to the Rays.
The 25-year-old Morel set career highs with 26 homers, 70 RBIs and a .247 batting average last year, but he has struggled this season.
Morel was the designated hitter for Sunday's game at Kansas City. He popped out in the second and then was a part of some hugs in the Cubs' dugout in the bottom of the third. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fourth.
Bigge, 26, was a 12th-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft out of Harvard University. He has no record and a 2.70 ERA in four major league relief appearances — all coming this month.
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