One thing we might glean from Trade Deadline Eve: the Texas Rangers haven't been real thrilled with the work of backup catcher Yorvit Torrealba this season. How else to explain the Rangers' acquisition of Cubs catcher Geovany Soto?
Cubs’ Geovany Soto Traded To Rangers
What makes the deal seem odd is that as poorly as Torrealba’s hit this season, Soto’s hit even worse:
Torrealba - .236/.302/.342 in 49 games
Ge. Soto - .195/.278/.345 in 51 games
Soto does have the advantage of being four-and-a-half years younger than Torrealba. And contractually, he's under club control through next season, while both Napoli and Torrealba are eligible for free agency after this season. And while it's possible the Rangers will turn around and trade (or release) Torrealba, they might also carry three catchers, which would make it easier -- considering the struggles of Michael Young -- to occasionally slot in Napoli as the club's DH.
Meanwhile, the initial reports have the Rangers sending right-handed starting pitcher Jacob Brigham to the Cubs. Brigham is 24 and pitching this season in the Class AA Texas League. He didn’t rank high among the Rangers’ prospects this spring, due to control issues. But he’s got a big arm and might thrive someday as a two-pitch reliefer.
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