Cubs Trade Rumors: Trent Giambrone Pulled Early, Hugs Teammates (Updated: Tight Hamstring Caused Exit)
UPDATE: We were all duped…hard. Or so it would appear. Even the beat writers were saying Giambrone’s exit was a precursor to a trade, but the reports out of St. Louis are that the early exit was due to a tight hamstring.
Giambrone pulled with a tight hamstring.
— Ryan Davis (@RyanQDavis) July 30, 2018
Double-A Tennessee second baseman Trent Giambrone was pulled from Sunday's game due to a tight hamstring.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) July 30, 2018
What about those hugs Tennessee Smokies broadcaster Mick Gillispie (tweet below) had reported, though?
Tennessee Smokies infielder Trent Giambrone was lifted early from tonight’s game and was seen hugging teammates afterward, setting off all kinds of speculation. Myrtle Beach Pelicans outfield Luis Ayala was also pulled early, but reports are that his exit was due to an illness issue.
Trent Giambrone #Cubs Leads @smokiesbaseball with 16 Homeruns, 22 Stolen bases and second with 19 Doubles. Pulled in the 3rd inning and didn’t appear to be injury related. Ranked as the 30th best prospect https://t.co/Ujt5ZIVn17 prospect list. Hugs reported in the dugout
— Mick Gillispie (@BroadcasterMick) July 29, 2018
Giambrone — rhymes with “jabroni,” ranked the Cubs’ No. 30 prospect by MLB.com — has moved steadily through the Cubs system and is displaying a lot of pop and good speed this season. He’s already at a career-high 16 homers to go with 19 doubles and 22 steals for AA Tennessee and was named PCL Player of the Week earlier in July. He’s certainly got potential, but the second base gig isn’t opening up in Chicago anytime soon.
Initial thoughts had Giambrone perhaps heading to either Miami or Texas for Brad Ziegler or Keone Kela, but reports have seemingly shot both of those down.
The Marlins do not appear to be part of this. https://t.co/1BLIqbYG6D
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) July 29, 2018
Sounds like a trade but don't know yet. If they've made a new one, it's not with the Texas Rangers, according to a source. https://t.co/Lodj3kwMIl
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 30, 2018
There have also been thoughts of an even bigger deal, say for Jacob deGrom, that would require some big leaguers as well. Ian Happ and Albert Almora Jr. both being absent from the Cubs lineup Sunday night added to that, but Buster Olney reported in no uncertain terms during the pregame broadcast that neither deGrom nor Noah Syndergaard would be traded prior to the deadline.
One other possibility is that Giambrone is the PTBNL for Cole Hamels, through that seems unlikely. While Giambrone isn’t a monster prospect by any stretch, he seems like a bigger get than most of those returns.
Something is likely to happen before long, so stay tuned for more.
***Update #1***
Well, he ain’t the PTBNL…
Trent Giambrone, the #Cubs prospect who was pulled from his game today and reportedly seen hugging teammates in the dugout, is not the PTBNL in the Cole Hamels trade. And the #Cubs have no second deal in the works with the #Rangers. Just in case anyone was wondering …
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 30, 2018
It’s also not former Cub Blake Parker, who at least one of those random #sources Twitter dudes trying to make a name for himself reported it could be.
And it's not Blake Parker, FYI https://t.co/h5cnoGSjO0
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 30, 2018
