Cubs acquire Wilson, Avila in trade with Tigers
The Chicago Cubs have acquired reliever Justin Wilson (left) and catcher Alex Avila (right) in a trade with the Detroit Tigers. (Keith Allison/Flickr)
CHICAGO (AP) - The rolling Chicago Cubs got a big lift Monday when they acquired reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila in a trade with the Detroit Tigers, bolstering their chance for another long playoff run.
The addition of Wilson gives manager Joe Maddon another late-inning option in front of All-Star closer Wade Davis. The World Series champions had been searching for a veteran to back up catcher Willson Contreras since they cut Miguel Montero a month ago, and Avila is having one of the best seasons of his career at the plate.
The Tigers received minor league infielders Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes and a player to be named or cash consideration. The 23-year-old Candelario was considered one of Chicago's top prospects, but he was blocked at the major league level by NL MVP Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
The major league non-waiver trade deadline is Monday at 4 p.m. EDT.
Just three weeks ago, the Cubs hit the All-Star break with a 43-45 record after an embarrassing 14-3 loss to Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field. They trailed Milwaukee by 5 1/2 games in the NL Central, and there was no sign of any turnaround on the horizon.
But Chicago got left-hander Jose Quintana in a blockbuster trade with the crosstown White Sox on July 13, and took off from there. The Cubs won two of three in Milwaukee over the weekend to improve to 13-3 since the break and open a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the division.
While Chicago has benefited from solid relief all season, the acquisition of Wilson will lessen the load on primary setup men Carl Edwards Jr., Koji Uehara, Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop. It also puts a third left-hander in the bullpen alongside Mike Montgomery and Brian Duensing.
Wilson, who turns 30 on Aug. 18, is 3-4 with 13 saves and a 2.68 ERA in 42 appearances in 2017. He also is under contractual control through next year, an important consideration for the Cubs since Davis, Uehara and Duensing are eligible for free agency after this season.
Avila, the son of Tigers general manager Alex Avila, returns to Chicago after he played for the White Sox last year. The 30-year-old Avila is batting .274 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in 77 games.
Contreras is the middle of a breakout season and Victor Caratini hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning of Sunday's 4-2 win at Milwaukee. But Caratini has just 26 major league at-bats, leaving the Cubs on the lookout for a veteran backstop to help keep Contreras fresh.
Right-hander Dylan Floro was designated for assignment to create a spot on Chicago's 40-man roster. The Cubs will have to make two more moves to add Wilson and Avila to their active roster before Tuesday night's series opener against Arizona.
The Tigers are fourth in the AL Central, making them sellers at the non-waiver deadline. They traded outfielder J.D. Martinez to Arizona for three prospects on July 18, and there was a chance longtime ace Justin Verlander also could be on the move.
To replace Wilson and Avila on the roster, Detroit recalled right-hander Joe Jimenez and catcher John Hicks from Triple-A Toledo before Monday night's game at the New York Yankees.
Candelario, who made his major league debut last season, hit .152 with a homer and three RBIs in 11 games with the Cubs this year. The switch-hitting third baseman batted .266 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 81 games with Triple-A Iowa.
The 18-year-old Paredes, who signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2015, hit .264 with seven homers and 49 RBIs in 92 games with Class A South Bend.