Anthony Rizzo, the star first baseman prospect that became the face of the Tucson Padres in their first year at Kino Stadium, was traded to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Rizzo was dealt, along with pitcher Zach Cates, for right-handed pitcher Andrew Cashner, who spent most of last season on the Major League disabled list, and minor-league outfielder Kyung-Min Na.
Neither Cashner nor Na are likely to start the season in Tucson. Rizzo figures to start the season with Triple-A Iowa.
For the Tucson Padres, Rizzo hit 26 home runs, drove in 101 RBIs and batted .331 in only 356 at-bats in his first Triple-A year.
“He had one of the best seasons that I’ve ever seen by a minor league player, and the fans loved him,” Tucson Padres general manager Mike Feder said. “You could just see a buzz in the stadium when he came to bat, and that’s pretty rare in a minor league player.”
Read more about the trade in Saturday's Arizona Daily Star.
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