Cubs acquire Miles Mastrobuoni from Rays for minor leaguer Alfredo Zárraga

The deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft is 5 p.m. CT today, November 15.

In an effort to clear space on 40-man rosters, teams are beginning to make deals.

The Cubs have reportedly made one that will add a player to their 40-man:

Miles Mastrobuoni is a multi-position player, primarily a second baseman, but he played shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions for Triple-A Durham in 2022, where he had a pretty good year at the plate: .300/.377/.469 (152-for-507) with 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases. He went 3-for-16 in eight games with the Rays late in 2022. He was Tampa Bay’s 14th round pick in 2016 out of Nevada-Reno.

Presuming this deal is completed — and I will update this post if and when it is, including the return — that leaves the Cubs’ 40-man roster at 35.

I would think this might spell the end of Zach McKinstry as a Cub, too, as Mastrobuoni has a similar skillset and also bats lefthanded. As always, we await developments.

UPDATE: Per press release from the Cubs, they are sending 22-year-old Alfredo Zárraga to the Rays in return. Zárraga posted a 1.93 ERA in 17 relief appearances between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend in 2022. He was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in January 2021.