Could Recent Cubs Move Mean Trade is Coming?

The Chicago Cubs outrighted infielder Edwin Rios on Sunday, creating a spot on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.

Could that mean the Cubs are making room to accept a player in trade, or is it simply time to part ways with the underperforming Rios?

The Cubs signed Rios to a $1 million Major League deal this offseason and he never established himself. In just 34 plate appearances with the Cubs he batted .071/.235/.214/.450. His last game with the Cubs was on June 3. He’s spent most of the season with the Iowa Cubs, the team’s Triple-A affiliate.

Rios is a fifth-year pro who has a career slash of .205/.292/.465/.758, with most of that coming in a reserve role with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was teammates with Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. The pair won World Series rings with the Dodgers in 2020.

The Cubs will reportedly hang on to its two biggest tradeable assets at the deadline — Bellinger and pitcher Marcus Stroman. That is due to a post-All-Star break surge in which the Cubs have won eight of their last 10 games and pushed past the .500 mark.

They enter Monday’s action just four games out of the NL Central lead and 3.5 games out of the NL Wild Card race.

Rios can accept the outright and remain with the Cubs or ask for his release, but he would surrender the remainder of his Cubs salary for 2023.