Cubs trade Tony Campana to Diamondbacks for pair of pitchers

The Cubs have traded outfielder Tony Campana to the Diamondbacks for a pair of teenage pitching prospects, the team announced.

The outfielder played in 89 games for Chicago last season. He batted ,264 with an OPS of .607. He is widely regarded as a good defender, which along with his base-stealing (30 stolen bases in 33 tries last season) is where most of his value comes from.

The team acquired pitchers Erick Leal and Jesus Castillo. Both pitchers are just 17 years of age, which shows that the Cubs are gambling on potential here instead of going for a safer player with a lesser ceiling. Neither pitcher has come state-side yet, with both pitching in the Dominican Summer League last year.

The deal comes as a bit of surprise because it was assumed that the Cubs would not be able to get much for their centerfielder. It was a good move by General Manager Jed Hoyer to be able to swing a deal for a player whom they had limited leverage on.

This trade shows an increasing trend, which can be seen across baseball, of teams trading for younger players with higher ceilings instead of polished role players.

The Cubs have been very active this offseason, and this is just another example.