The Cubs have traded 29-year old pinch hitting star Tommy "3 AM" La Stella to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for cash or a player to be named later.
La Stellas numbers look just mediocre on the outset, he hit .266/.340/.331 in 192 plate appearances, but his primary value came off the bench where he led the league with 24 pinch hits, which is incredibly valuable especially in late game situations. He had very good bat control, walking in 8.9 percent of his plate appearances while striking out in just 14.1 percent, a very impressive skill in this day and age.
The move comes at the heels of the Ronald Torreyes trade, and ultimately fell victim to a roster crunch. Unlike Torreyes, he is very limited defensively as he primarily played only second and third with the Cubs and graded below average at both of those positions. La Stella was projected to earn $300k more than Torreyes in arbitration, so the move will save the team a bit of money.
La Stella, was a fan (and Jesse Roger) favorite. He will conclude his Cub career with a very solid .273/.356/.397 line. He was an important member of the 2016 team that won the World Series, and although he had his send down controversy he will be remembered fondly for his knack for hitting off the bench.
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