The Chicago Cubs acquire outfielder Chris Coghlan from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for utility man Arismendy Alcantara. This trade comes as a bit of a surprise given that the Cubs sent Coghlan to Oakland during the spring, but Chicago is in need of a left-handed bat due to the fact that Tommy La Stella is headed to the disabled list with a hamstring injury.
Cubs Acquire Outfielder Chris Coghlan
Coghlan provided productive offense and defense in his time with the Cubs in 2014 and 2015. Coghlan slashed .283/.352/.452 in 2014, and .250/.341/.443 in 2015, while adding a much needed versatility on defense. Coghlan saw time in both corner outfield spots, as well as first, second, and third base. Cubs fans may recall Coghlan’s extended platoon usage at second base last summer, alongside now New York Yankee Starlin Castro.
Coghlan is struggling in the 2016 campaign, however, as his batting average and on-base percentage have dropped significantly to .146 and .215, respectively. Expect Coghlan to get limited outfield platoon work against right-handed pitching in the near future. His extended future with the club is unclear.
Arismendy Alcantara first broke into the big leagues for seventy games in 2014, and had an eleven game stint in 2015. Alcantara had a cumulative slash line of .077/.226/.077 in the majors. So far this year in AAA, Alcantara is hitting .264, with five triples and five home runs. However, he is currently striking out once out of every four plate appearances. He will likely get a chance to reach the “big club” in Oakland in the future, as Oakland is collecting assets, and Alcantara has a chance to turn into a productive utility player.
Tommy La Stella is headed to the DL with a hamstring injury suffered in Tuesday night’s game against the Philadephia Phillies. The Cubs will likely be cautious with La Stella given their 9.5 game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and that hamstring injuries tend to linger. La Stella has proved especially useful in the Cubs historically strong start and is slashing .291/.378/.494 in his limited plate appearances.
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