Cubs Make 'Minor' Trade with A’s

The Chicago Cubs have made another deal with their most popular trade partner of late, the Oakland Athletics. The Cubs agreed Wednesday to send minor league pitcher Rocky Roquet to the A’s for a player to be named later.

Roquet, 26, spent most of 2008 at Class AA Tennessee and was 4-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 46 contests spanning 59 innings. He struck out 63 batters and walked 30. Roquet went on to appear in 10 contests for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, allowing 18 runs (nine earned) in 13 2/3 innings for a 5.93 ERA.

Roquet joined the Cubs in 2006 as a non-drafted free agent following a five-year college career that began as an outfielder at Florida State and ended at Cal Poly as a hard-throwing right-hander.

“He’s a great kid with a chance to pitch in the major leagues,” Cubs Vice President of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita said of Roquet.

“We were simply full and had to create (minor league roster) space.”

Wednesday’s trade was the second this year between the Cubs and A’s. In February, the two clubs agreed on a three-player swap that involved RHP Michael Wuertz going to Oakland for minor league OF Richie Robnett and INF Justin Sellers.

Last season, the Cubs acquired RHPs Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the A’s for OF Matt Murton, INF/OF Eric Patterson, RHP Sean Gallagher and catcher Josh Donaldson in July.