Inside The Cubs

On This Day in History: Chicago Cubs Get Trade Happy

On this day in Chicago Cubs history, the franchise pulled off two different trades in two different decades.

Kade Kistner

On This Day in History: Chicago Cubs Get Trade Happy
On This Day in History: Chicago Cubs Get Trade Happy /
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The Chicago Cubs have a deep history, and that is no different on today's date of Nov. 17, 2022.

Despite it being the offseason and usually uneventful, the Cubs did pull off two trades on this date over the course of 60 years. 

The first of the three trades happened in 1954 when Chicago sent Ralph Kiner to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for cash, Sam Jones and a minor leaguer named Gale Wade.

Kiner would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with the class of 1975, wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates hat. 

The second trade occurred in 2014 when the Atlanta Braves traded middle infielder Tommy La Stella to the Cubs in exchange for relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaíno, whom Chicago had acquired from Atlanta in 2012. 

The move turned out to be the right one for the Cubs as Vizcaíno would go on to serve the first 80 games of the 2015 minor league season due to a suspension levied for using performance enhancing drugs.

La Stella went on to win a 2016 World Series ring with the Cubs despite having just one at-bat the entire postseason. He was removed from the World Series roster in favor of Kyle Schwarber who is now with the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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