The Chicago Cubs are working the phones in an attempt to get a deal done before the MLB trade deadline, but there is one prospect they seem to be against trading.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Cubs are “declining to part” with catching prospect Moisés Ballesteros, whom they recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.
The Cubs are actively trying to make moves, but sources say Chicago is declining to part with Moisés Ballesteros, who ranks as the club’s No. 2 prospect per @MLBPipeline, who ranks him as the No. 47 prospect in its Top 100.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 31, 2025
Feinsand reports the Cubs are still actively trying to make moves, but are reluctant to trade Ballesteros before the 5 p.m. deadline.
Ballesteros made his MLB debut earlier this season, but had his first huge impact moment for the Cubs on Wednesday as he socked a bases-clearing RBI double to help Chicago to a 10-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Ballesteros is slashing .222/.300/.278 in 18 at-bats with the Cubs, and has spent most of the season in Triple-A Iowa, where he has nine home runs, 57 RBI’s, 26 doubles and an on-base percentage of nearly .400.
Still, it may come as a surprise that the Cubs are so reluctant to part with Ballesteros despite his proficiency at the plate. He doesn’t have a guaranteed position in the field, as it remains unclear whether he will become a big-league catcher. He has played 56 games at the position for Iowa this season, but has not appeared there with the Cubs.
He likely doesn’t profile as a first baseman either, both due to his height at 5-foot-7 and the fact Michael Busch has cemented himself at the position.