The Cubs and White Sox made a swap on Tuesday with the Cubs sending reliever Bailey Horn to the White Sox in exchange for starter Matthew Thompson.

The Cubs were looking to clear a 40-man roster spot for Cody Bellinger this week, and we had heard that they were looking to trade a pitcher to do so. In this trade, the Cubs send Horn back to the White Sox — he was acquired by the Cubs for Ryan Tepera in 2021 — get their 40-man roster spot to make the Bellinger signing official, and get a one-time promising pitching prospect back from the Sox.

Let’s talk about what the Cubs and White Sox are getting back in this deal.

Cubs: RHP Matthew Thompson

Thompson was a second round selection (No. 45 overall) by the White Sox in 2019, taken right after the White Sox selected Andrew Vaughn in the first round.

Thompson was one of the White Sox top pitching prospects first his first couple of seasons in the system, but sturggles with command, injuries, and new prospect additions moved him out of the Sox’s Top 30 at most publications.

Thompson made his way to Birmingham in 2022 and spent all of 2023 with the White Sox Double-A affiliate. He logged 27 starts and posted a 4.85 ERA in 124.1 innings of work for the Barons last season.

Coming out of high school, Thompson was sitting in the low 90s and topping out at 96 MPH. That pushed the White Sox to take him at No. 45 in 2019 and sign him over-slot at $2.1 million. He cracked the White Sox Top 30 at MLB Pipeline in 2020, checking in at No. 7 that year.

In 2021 he remained at No. 7 before sliding to No. 11 in 2022 and out of the Top 30 before the 2023 season.

These days Thompson sits 92-94 with his fastball and can reach up to 97 with pretty good carry. He has a curveball that has power and depth at 78-82 MPH when he stays on top of it, which he doesn’t often do. His changeup sits in the low 80s with some fade and sink.

His delivery is often stiff and he doesn’t repeat it well, leading to the control issues that have plagued him throughout his time with the White Sox.

For his first few seasons in the White Sox system he was one of my favorite prospects, but he needs to refine his mechanics to reach his ceiling. He’s young enough and still has the heavy fastball and curveball to become a major league player if he can get his mechanics sorted out. A change of scenery was the best move for his future.

White Sox: LHP Bailey Horn

Bailey Horn, 26, began his pro baseball journey as a fifth-round draft pick for the White Sox in 2020, eventually finding his way to the Cubs in a trade for reliever Ryan Tepera during the White Sox' 2021 playoff push.

Primarily stationed in Triple-A during the 2023 season, the southpaw notched a 7-2 record with a 4.58 ERA across 53 innings of relief work with the Iowa Cubs. Transitioning Horn into a full-time reliever became a priority for the Cubs following the trade, although the White Sox had already initiated this shift during his tenure with their organization.

Horn currently holds the 28th spot in the Cubs' prospect rankings, according to Baseball America. Considering his upcoming age-26 season, it appears unlikely that Horn will revert to a starting pitching role, particularly given the anticipation of his major-league debut this season. Instead, he's poised to contend for a bullpen spot with the White Sox at some point this season.

Here’s what Baseball America said about Horn recently:

“His fastball sits 94-96 mph, touches 98 and gets swings and misses when he throws it over the plate. His sharp, 84-86 mph slider flashes plus and is a wipeout offering at its best. His big-breaking, 75-79 mph curveball with sweep and depth is an above-average pitch that he can land on the backfoot of righties. Horn has plenty of stuff, but he struggles to repeat his delivery and has a violent arm action that yields well below-average control and significant injury risk.”

More Chicago Cubs from Bleacher Nation

• Tuesday’s trade with the White Sox paved the way for the Cody Bellinger signing to become official.

• Here’s Brett’s story on yesterday’s trade:

More Chicago Sports from Bleacher Nation

Chicago Bears

• Ryan Poles met with the media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and discussed a few topics including Justin Fields, Jaylon Johnson, and the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

• Matt Eberflus met with the media on Tuesday as well, and described what he wants in a quarterback in 2024 and beyond.

• Poles also confirmed that teams have been on the horn with him regarding the availability and cost of the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Chicago Blackhawks

• Tab had some thoughts on a potential Patrick Kane reunion on Tuesday. Spoiler: it’s not likely.

Chicago Bulls

• That oh-so-competetive team that the Bulls claim to have is essentially locked into the ninth-seed in the Eastern Conference.

What’s on deck?

• The Cubs will take on the Milwaukee Brewers in Cactus League action this afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:05 CT and you can catch the action on Marquee.

• The Bulls host the Cavaliers tonight at 7:00 PM CT on NBC Sports Chicago.

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