Chicago Cubs Trade Michael Barrett To San Diego Padres

The Chicago Cubs traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres for catcher Rob Bowen and minor league OF Kyler Burke.

Who didn't see this coming? The Cubs weren't playing Barrett much anymore, using Koyie Hill in most games. After his altercation with Zambrano, he had another argument with pitcher Rich Hill during a game in which he caught him. Given his subpar defense, his struggles at the plate, and his recent arguments with teammates, the Cubs decided to ship him off. They sure as hell didn't get much in return given Barrett has been one of the better offensive catchers for the past three years. He's hit 16 HRs in each of the past 3, hit .287/.276/.307 in the past 3, and has put up decent R/RBI totals. If the Cubs weren't so stubborn with batting him low in the order, he would have put up even better R/RBI totals given how much he was getting on base. All they got was an unheralded catcher in Bowen, and an underperforming minor leaguer in Burke.

Fantasy Impact: I'd be surprised if people were still using Barrett given his horrible performance at the plate this year, but if you were, his upside is even dimmer now that he plays half his games in Petco Park. I'd leave him on waiver wire if he's there, and I wouldn't start him if you still have him. I'd much rather be using guys like Bengie Molina and Mike Napoli, for example.