The biggest news out of Tuesday was the Cubs designating Bryan LaHair for assignment, while the trade for Barret Loux flew under the radar a bit.
The Cubs dealt Jacob Brigham (acquired in the Geovany Soto trade in July) back to the Rangers, receiving Loux, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, in return as a sort of re-do on the Soto deal after Brigham was limited to just two appearances for the Cubs' Double-A affiliate in Tennessee. The Cubs will also receive a player to be named later.
Loux was drafted out of Stratford High School in Texas in 2007, going in the 24th round to the Detroit Tigers. He opted to attend Texas A & M instead, and was selected in the MLB Draft three years later, going sixth overall to the Diamondbacks in 2010.
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The Houston native was bothered by shoulder and elbow problems and wound up a free agent, signing with the Rangers in November 2010.
Unlike Brigham, Loux appears to have regained his health, starting 46 games over the past two seasons. He's pitched well in those 236 innings, striking out 227 batters with a 22-6 record, 3.62 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
In response to the deal Tuesday, Baseball America crafted a blurb on the 6-foot-5 righty, shedding some light on Loux's free agent status two years ago as well as a scouting report on the young starter.
"Loux reached Double-A in 2012 and made all his starts without incident, showing a simple, repeatable delivery and an idea of how to pitch," John Manuel and Matt Eddy wrote. "He works downhill, sits 90-92 mph and commands his fastball to both sides of the plate, though neither his velocity nor his secondary pitches separate him from the pack.
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"His average slider and curveball blend together, but most scouts like his changeup best and think he knows how and when to use it. He profiles as an innings-eating No. 5 type on a good team."
Loux may never become an ace at the big-league level, but he has first-round upside and isn't a bad get for an organization lacking in quality starting pitching prospects.