Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Ben Zobrist

NL Notes: Zobrist, Sierra, Inciarte

By | at

The Cubs have, amazingly, lost five consecutive one-run decisions after another gut-wrenching loss to the Cardinals this afternoon. While much of the conversation regarding the end of their season will focus on this incremental collapse, the Cubs final games are also significant in that they may mark the last occasions on which Ben Zobrist will suit up for the team. A star of the club’s curse-breaking 2016 World Series team, Zobrist spoke at length with The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma about what may be his last days in Cubbie blue–and about the struggles his team has faced in 2019 (link).

“I think so much of it has to do with momentum,” Zobrist told Sharma. “I’m a big believer in momentum. If you get it early in the season, you can be 10 games up at the All-Star break. When I look at every year, there’s this ebb and flow. It just seems like no matter how good the team is, if you don’t start out fast like that, and kind of push ahead in the division early on, it’s hard to keep that momentum and get to a point where you clinch on Sept. 15.”

The Cubs began this year 2-7 and were without the help of the 38-year-old Zobrist for a sizable chunk of the season as he tended to family matters. Since returning to action on Sept. 3, the versatile former Ray has hit .320/.404/.460 across 57 plate appearances–production which should, if nothing else, entice rival front offices considering him for a contract next season.

More notes from around the National League…

  • Outfielder Magneuris Sierra had been in the midst of his first extended success in a Marlins uniform, but it appears that a hamstring strain suffered in today’s game will cut his campaign a bit short, according to a tweet from Wells Dusenbury of the Sun-Sentinel (link). The 23-year-old Sierra, who a lifetime ago was a key component of the Marcell Ozuna trade, did some nice things in 14 September games for Miami, with a .324 batting average across a small sample of 38 plate appearances. That came on the heels of an uneven 2019 minor league campaign, in which he amassed a .282/.337/.365 line in 48 Double-A games before Triple-A exposure mellowed him out a bit (.271/.304/.399 line in 81 games). He did log 36 steals across three levels this year, which should aid him in trying to crack Miami’s outfield mix in 2020.
  • Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte was previously said to be expected back this Tuesday, but the veteran may instead return this Friday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com (link). It’s fair to wonder if the Braves are feeling a little less urgency now that they’ve clinched the NL East, but Inciarte will nonetheless be a welcome component of Atlanta’s postseason roster. Inciarte, who has been downed with a bad hammy since August, has only logged a -1 DRS figure in 63 games on the grass this year–a far cry from the +17 DRS he recorded for the Braves last year. Speedster Billy Hamilton, Inciarte’s replacement as of late, is 8-for-29 at the plate for Atlanta this year.

Cubs DFA Zagunis, Option Bote, Reinstate Zobrist

By | at

Cubs utilityman Ben Zobrist has been reinstated from the restricted list and added to the 25-man and 40-man rosters, according to a tweet from Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic (link). To make room on the active 25-man roster, fellow multipurpose player David Bote has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa; outfielder Mark Zagunis has been designated for assignment to clear a space for Zobrist on the 40-man. A similar report from MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian has since been retweeted by the club itself, essentially comprising what passes for an official announcement in 2019.

Though Zobrist and Bote are certainly the most famous names involved in this transaction, the DFA of Zagunis is certainly noteworthy, as the longtime Cubs farmhand offers lots of control and a relatively accomplished minor league track record. The 26-year-old has only received 55 at-bats in the bigs since debuting in 2017, but his minor league numbers tell of a patient hitter with consistently average-or-better league-adjusted production. With Triple-A Iowa this year, Zagunis has managed a .294/.361/.475 slash in his fourth go-around at the highest level of the minors; last year, his .272/.395/.375 output in 453 Iowa ABs was even better by virtue of weighted measures (111 wRC+). It will be interesting to see if a non-contender takes a flier on him in the hopes that he proves to be a big-league late bloomer.

Zobrist has been out of action since May as he deals with the ongoing ramifications of a divorce.  He wasn’t off to a particularly hot start in 2019, as his .241/.343/.253 slash was far less than fans have come to expect of the multitalented greybeard. At 38-years-old, Zobrist is playing in the last year of a four-year/$56MM deal signed with Chicago prior to 2016.

This is the second time Bote has been optioned this month. Despite a .262/.359/.435 (106 wRC+) profile this year, the 26-year-old has been nonetheless wearing one for the team in recent weeks, as the activation of Steve Cishek saw him down to Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 19, only to be recalled on Aug. 25 when Anthony Rizzo started ailing. With this option, the big league sophomore will need to remain in Triple-A for a minimum of ten days.

Cubs To Activate Ben Zobrist

By | at

The Cubs will activate veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist when active rosters expand on Sunday, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports on Twitter. That’ll necessitate a 40-man roster move, as Zobrist has been on the restricted list.

Zobrist, 38, has been away from the Chicago organization since early May for personal reasons. He has slowly worked his way back into playing shape and game speed over recent weeks, playing a dozen rehab games while also spending stretches at home. It’s an unusual situation, but one that has unfolded with the blessings of the team.

When he returns, Zobrist will not only be looking to shake off the rust and re-adjust to the grind while entering a full-throated postseason race. He’ll also be looking to bounce back from a brutal stretch of play to open the season. Zobrist reached base at a .343 clip but managed only a single extra-base hit in 99 plate appearances. He hasn’t exactly shredded minor-league pitching on his rehab stint, slashing .189/.333/.405 in 45 trips to the plate.

Despite that tepid recent showing, skipper Joe Maddon says he won’t have any issue plugging Zobrist in at the top of the order. Zobrist surely won’t be thrown back into everyday duties, particularly with so many other mouths to feed in the Cubs position-player mix. But when he is written into the lineup, it makes sense that he’d be utilized at the top. Despite his recent power outage, Zobrist has walked more than he has struck out in his game action this season.

It’s unclear as yet how the Cubs will distribute playing time. David Bote just re-joined the roster. Presumably, Albert Almora and Daniel Descalso will as well in short order. Backstop Willson Contreras isn’t far behind. So long as the 40-man logistics and player expectations can be managed, that ought to leave Maddon with loads of options in any given game.

NL Central Notes: Moose, Zobrist, Estrada, Cards

By | at

The Brewers dropped a big contest but escaped an injury scare tonight, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy was among those to cover on Twitter. Infielder Mike Moustakas departed after being hit on the wrist while trying to make a play in the field. Fortunately, x-rays after the game were negative. Though he’s expected to take at least one day off, it seems Moustakas has avoided serious injury. That’s good news for a Milwaukee team that’s struggling to keep pace with the two leaders in the NL Central race.

About those two front-runners …

  • It seems the expectation remains that the Cubs will bring Ben Zobrist onto the active roster once rosters expand on September 1st, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. That’s still far from official, and Sullivan notes that the team still likely wants to give the veteran more reps before activating him. It remains a mystery just how this unusual situation will play out. The 38-year-old Zobrist is a treasured presence in the dugout but wasn’t in top form before taking personal leave earlier this year. Through a dozen rehab games — spread out to enable him stretches of time to be with his children — Zobrist is hitting .189/.333/.405.
  • Cubs prospect Jeremiah Estrada announced today that he underwent Tommy John surgery (h/t Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, via Twitter). The young righty had been in notable position on the Chicago prospect chart, in the evaluation of the Fangraphs prospect team. A recent over-slot sixth-rounder, Estrada missed all of 2018 and only threw 10 2/3 innings this year before going under the knife. It’s unlikely he’ll pitch competitively in the 2020 season, though there’s still plenty of time for the twenty-year-old to blossom.
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch held an interesting chat with Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. that’s well worth a full read for fans of the club. Pressed on the club’s decisionmaking after three-straight seasons without a postseason appearance, DeWitt did not cede any ground. He rejected any view that the club went cheap this summer, saying the organization remains among the higher-payroll outfits in the league. As for the current front-office leadership group, DeWitt did not seem inclined at all to consider significant change in leadership. “There is always accountability,” he said. “But keep in mind, we’ve had a pretty nice run of success under the current regime with 11 consecutive winning seasons, and when we have missed the playoffs it has been by a very small number of games.” As things stand in the 2019 race, the Cards have a strong chance of breaking their string of playoff absences. But the pressure will increase significantly if that doesn’t come to pass.

Latest On Ben Zobrist, Brandon Morrow

By | at

The Cubs, who trail the NL Central-leading Cardinals by a half-game, are hoping to get back a pair of notable reinforcements in the next few weeks. Second baseman/outfielder Ben Zobrist has barely contributed this season, while reliever Brandon Morrow hasn’t taken a major league mound since July 15, 2018. Both players are now working toward returning.

Zobrist, who has been on the restricted list since May 8 while dealing with a pending divorce, began a rehab assignment Friday. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein discussed the Cubs’ plans for Zobrist with reporters, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Epstein revealed Zobrist will “play rehab games on and off for the month of August to get ready. He’s going to take some time off in between these stints to continue to get his body in shape and continue to practice.”

The Cubs are taking that tack with Zobrist because “he’s not going to come back as an everyday player anyway,” according to Epstein. “So it makes sense to get him ready this way.”

Filling a part-time role will be a first in Chicago for Zobrist, a starter for the club since it signed him to a four-year, $56MM contract entering 2016. The deal had paid off handsomely for the Cubs until this season, which has been a disastrous on- and off-field field campaign for Zobrist. The 38-year-old switch-hitter batted a punchless .241/.343/.253 with no home runs and a shockingly low ISO (.012) in 99 plate appearances before going on leave, though he did continue to show a keen awareness of the zone with 14 walks against 12 strikeouts.

Zobrist has seen more time in the corner outfield than at second base this season, but the Cubs addressed both areas prior to Wednesday’s trade deadline. They acquired fellow second baseman/outfielder Tony Kemp from the Astros and reeled in a much bigger fish, right fielder Nicholas Castellanos, in a swap with the Tigers. But it’s anyone’s guess whether those additions will help push the Cubs to the playoffs.

Second base has been a problem for the team all year, as Zobrist, the now-injured Daniel Descalso, David Bote, and current minor leaguers Addison Russell and Robel Garcia have combined for subpar production. Kemp, meanwhile, doesn’t carry an especially impressive MLB track record. The corner outfield now has two defensive question marks – Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber – flanking Jason Heyward. Zobrist is a better defender than Schwarber, who has added to the Cubs’ woes against southpaws this season, and has hit lefties well throughout his career. Ergo, platooning the two could make sense.

As for Morrow, his year-plus absence has been a major blow to the Cubs’ bullpen. After signing a two-year, $21MM contract with the Cubs going into 2018, the oft-injured Morrow thrived for a few months, but then elbow issues upended him. General manager Jed Hoyer indicated Thursday the team’s not holding its breath for the return of Morrow, who has been rehabbing in Arizona.

The 35-year-old Morrow took a more optimistic tone Friday, telling Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com: “I faced hitters just last week, so I’m pretty built up. I’ve thrown the last two days and should be back on the mound early next week.”

Morrow added he’s free of “aches and pains” in his elbow and forearm, and he’s expecting “to progress quickly.” Asked when he believes he’ll rejoin the Cubs, Morrow said, “I guess not more than a month away from being back.”

The money the Cubs have saved during Zobrist’s time away, not to mention Morrow’s inability to take the mound, played key roles in the the three-year, $43MM contract they gave star closer Craig Kimbrel in June. Kimbrel hasn’t exactly been a cure-all for the Cubs’ bullpen, though. The 31-year-old righty has yielded eight earned runs on 12 hits (four home runs) and eight walks in his first 11 2/3 innings as a Cub.

Ben Zobrist To Begin Rehab Assignment

By | at

AUG. 1: Zobrist’s rehab will begin this weekend at the Single-A level, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to report.

JULY 26: Cubs veteran Ben Zobrist is slated to begin a rehab assignment, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells reporters including ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers (Twitter link). Zobrist has been on the restricted list for much of the season for personal reasons.

It’s notable news for the Cubs, who are in a dead heat in a tightly contest NL Central. The club has struggled to find consistent production at second base and in the corner outfield — the two spots that Zobrist has appeared at most frequently. He’ll presumably step right back into the mix as soon as he is back up to full speed.

The Cubs likely won’t welcome back Zobrist right away. Though he has been working out, the 38-year-old has been inactive for so long that he’s likely to need a physical ramp-up along with a good bit of time getting back up to game speed. He wasn’t exactly at top form when he stepped away, having compiled 99 plate appearances of .241/.343/.253 hitting to open the season. While he carried a strong 12:14 K/BB ratio in that span, Zobrist managed just one extra-base hit.

There are also some payroll considerations to be accounted for. During his absence, Zobrist has foregone payment of his $12.5MM annual salary. But he’ll start earning again. (Whether that will take place once his rehab assignment starts or once he’s activated isn’t clear.) That means that the club cannot reallocate all of Zobrist’s remaining salary obligations to other players at the deadline.

It seems an early September target may make the most sense for all involved. That’d be an optimal time from a roster perspective, as the Cubs would be able to take advantage of the expansion of the active roster to ease Zobrist back in. He will need to come off of the restricted list by the end of August in order to be eligible for the postseason.

Theo Epstein On Cubs’ Slide: “Not Acceptable”

By | at

Little has gone right in recent weeks for the Cubs, who fell to 22-28 in their past 50 games with yet another defeat Wednesday. Chicago dropped its fourth straight game overall and third in a row against the Pirates, though the stage was set for a Cubs victory. Leading 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs had newly signed closer Craig Kimbrel in line to slam the door. Instead, Kimbrel allowed two earned runs on a walk and a double en route to a 6-5 defeat. It was the second straight less-than-ideal showing for Kimbrel, who hasn’t turned in a clean performance in any of his three appearances since the Cubs activated him June 27.

Signing Kimbrel to a three-year, $43MM contract was a bold strike by president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, an attempt to inject some much-needed life into the club. The move hasn’t done the trick to this point, though. Neither have multiple team meetings in recent days, as Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com detailed after its 18-5 loss in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

With the Cubs having floundered since May, their front office is running out of patience as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Epstein took to WSCR-AM 670 on Wednesday and stated there could be a “ton” of changes, even threatening to sell this month, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune were among those to cover. Epstein called the Cubs’ recent skid “not acceptable,” adding, “There have been too many words about it and not enough action.”

Epstein didn’t excuse manager Joe Maddon from blame, saying “all of us haven’t done the job.” On the field, Epstein pointed to “sloppy” base running and defense as reasons for the team’s slump. Epstein must have been apoplectic Wednesday night when a pair of defensive miscues with one out in the ninth helped sink the Cubs. Catcher Willson Contreras, who was playing right field, failed to come up with a bloop fly ball. Then, with Pirates catcher Elias Diaz on third, Cubs second baseman Addison Russell fielded a grounder and fired home instead of taking the easy out at first. Diaz beat the throw, tying the game, and the Pirates later triumphed on a Corey Dickerson sacrifice fly.

The Cubs sit a lukewarm 45-42 on the heels of their latest loss, yet they’re still in wild-card position and a mere game back of the NL Central-leading Brewers. The fact that the NL features far more middling teams than juggernauts has been a saving grace for the Cubs. However, that’s not going to cut it for Epstein, who has important choices to make in the coming weeks.

As things stand, the Cubs still seem far more likely to buy than sell, especially after having signed Kimbrel. The team could reasonably look to make upgrades throughout its roster. Even with Kimbrel in the fold, the Cubs’ relief corps has done little to inspire confidence aside from Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler and Kyle Ryan. The Cubs’ rotation took a significant hit when Cole Hamels went on the injured list with a left oblique strain last weekend, though there’s optimism he won’t miss a ton of time. Regardless, the club’s starting staff has been shaky beyond Hamels, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester. Fellow established starters Yu Darvish and Jose Quintana haven’t come close to meeting expectations this season.

Statistically, the Cubs’ position players rank sixth in the majors in fWAR, but that doesn’t mean the group is devoid of issues. Among regulars, Contreras, third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Jason Heyward and utilityman David Bote have all ranged from fine to excellent this year. On the other hand, when the Cubs haven’t used Bote at second, they’ve gotten little at the position from Russell, Daniel Descalso and Ben Zobrist. They promoted 26-year-old rookie Robel Garcia on Wednesday as a result. Center fielder Albert Almora has joined Descalso and Zobrist in struggling at the plate (especially against lefties). Adding to the disappointment, left fielder Kyle Schwarber hasn’t hit like the offensive cornerstone Epstein & Co. have regarded him as throughout his career.

Second base and the outfield may end up as areas the Cubs try to bolster this month, but Zobrist’s potential return complicates matters. Although Zobrist has been on the restricted list since May 7 as he deals with a divorce, Epstein indicated Wednesday he expects the 38-year-old infielder/outfielder to rejoin the team at some point. The Cubs have saved approximately $1MM per month during the absence of Zobrist, who’s on a $12.5MM salary in the last year of his contract. Zobrist’s disappearance helped the Cubs gather up the funds for Kimbrel, though they’ve largely shied away from spending since last offseason. Epstein has said the Cubs usually have “significant” money saved for in-season pickups, though, which implies a Zobrist comeback wouldn’t hinder their deadline plans from a financial standpoint. Even if it doesn’t, the Cubs will need vintage Zobrist to return – not the version who showed absolutely no power over 99 plate appearances before he took his leave.

Just as Epstein is optimistic Zobrist will put on a Cubs uniform again this season, he expects injured reliever Brandon Morrow to factor into their bullpen. Morrow was a highly valuable member of the Cubs’ relief corps in 2018, but elbow problems put an end to his season in mid-July. While the oft-injured 34-year-old has been throwing in Arizona lately as he tries to work back, per Gonzales, there’s still no clear timetable for a return.

The sliding Cubs play one more in Pittsburgh before a two-game road set against the White Sox over the weekend. After the All-Star break, they’ll face their four division foes – the Pirates, Reds, Brewers and Cardinals – as well as the playoff-contending Padres a combined 15 times in 18 games through Aug. 1. That stretch may wind up having a lot of say in how the frustrated Epstein handles the deadline.

Ben Zobrist Could Return This Season

By | at

The Cubs have been without utilityman Ben Zobrist since May 8 as he deals with a divorce, but they’re “open” to welcoming him back “later in the season,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com and other reporters Thursday.

If the 38-year-old Zobrist does return in 2019, it’s “likely” to come toward the end of the season – possibly in September – a source tells Rogers. Notably, the Cubs won’t have to pay Zobrist for however long he stays away from the team. The club has already saved upward of $2MM since Zobrist’s leave began, and it’ll continue to pocket the same amount per month while he’s out. The money the Cubs haven’t had to shell out for Zobrist helped them sign free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel to a three-year, $43MM contract last week.

The Kimbrel addition has been a benefit of Zobrist’s disappearance, yet it’s not surprising that Epstein is hopeful the respected veteran will return. The four-year, $56MM contract the Cubs handed Zobrist entering the 2016 season likely stands as one of the smartest moves Epstein has made atop their baseball department. The switch-hitting, defensively versatile Zobrist has been one of the Cubs’ MVPs for a sizable portion of his tenure, and he played an important role in their drought-breaking World Series championship during his first year in their uniform.

Now in the last season of his deal, Zobrist did get off to a slow start on the field while dealing with a distracting situation off it. He opened 2019 with a .241/.343/.253 line (69 wRC+), no home runs and a nearly nonexistent .012 ISO in 99 plate appearances before going on the restricted list. If Zobrist does return toward year’s end and the contending Cubs are in position to clinch another postseason berth, he may need to log much better numbers than he has so far in order to earn a spot on their playoff roster. Fellow Cubs second basemen David Bote and Addison Russell have recorded far superior production to Zobrist in 2019, while the same holds true for the corner outfield-capable group of Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber and even the just-added Carlos Gonzalez.

Theo Epstein Discusses Ben Zobrist

By | at

The Cubs placed utility player Ben Zobrist on the restricted list May 8 because of a personal matter, though it wasn’t clear whether they were still paying him. Almost a month later, Zobrist still hasn’t returned to the Cubs, but we now know the 38-year-old hasn’t counted against their books in his absence.

With Zobrist on a $12MM salary in 2019, the last season of a four-year, $56MM contract, Chicago has saved just over $2MM since he left the team, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Cubs will continue to save the same amount for each month Zobrist spends on the restricted list, Greenberg notes.

There’s still no word on whether Zobrist will return this season, but president of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke about him Wednesday, saying (via Greenberg): “He’s been communicative with us. We have an understanding of what’s going on with him.”

“Families and personal lives come first — that’s the rule we run our organization by,” continued Epstein, who added that Zobrist “[doesn’t] owe us anything.”

If we judge Zobrist solely by the on-field value he has provided during his run with the Cubs, he truly doesn’t owe the club anything. Although he got off to a subpar start this season before he went on the restricted list, Zobrist has been one of the Cubs’ most valuable players for a large portion of his tenure with the team. And if Zobrist never suits up for the Cubs again, he may have indirectly left them a parting gift in the form of all-time great closer Craig Kimbrel.

The Cubs were able to reach an agreement on a three-year, $43MM deal with Kimbrel on Wednesday, in part because they’re not paying Zobrist. Chicago shied away from big-money additions in the offseason because of luxury tax ramifications, but Zobrist’s exit – whether temporary or permanent – helped give the World Series hopefuls the necessary spending room to win the long-running Kimbrel sweepstakes.

Cubs Showing Interest In Craig Kimbrel

By | at

All winter long and into the season, through the unavailability (for one reason or another) of backend bullpen notables Brandon Morrow, Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr., messaging out of Chicago’s front office has been as consistent as the bullpen has been fickle: the Cubs have no money to spend. Yet, the Northsiders are suddenly showing interest in Craig Kimbrel, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

The Cubs financial story remains the same with one new wrinkle: an unfortunate family situation has left utility maven Ben Zobrist on the restricted list since May 8th. If his divorce continues to keep him out of action – which seems likelier than not at this point – the Cubs could recoup a good portion of his salary (in the neighborhood of $9MM), at least as far as the luxury tax is concerned. This new math could give the Cubs just enough room to make a viable run at Kimbrel. Roster resource pegs Chicago’s luxury tax number at around $223MM, whereas Spotrac puts the Cubs at around $200MM. The latter number puts the Cubs a little more than $5MM shy of paying the luxury tax, but Rosenthal suggests the Cubs aren’t as concerned about the tax in general as they are the $246MM line that incurs the harshest penalties. Whether current spending has them just under the first threshold ($206MM) or the second threshold ($226MM), either valuation of their current payroll ought to leave enough room to make a competitive offer to Kimbrel while staying under (at least) the final tax line. There are, of course, other potential suitors courting Kimbrel.

And yet, even if they can make the math work, the months of consistent messaging casts some doubt onto a Cubs’ pursuit of Kimbrel. What we know for certain is that Theo Epstein and company are not shy about doing due diligence, and if history holds, they’ll make at least one notable move before the trade deadline. Epstein has been active on the trade market throughout his Chicago tenure, making at least one deadline acquisition each season dating back to 2015: Dan Haren (2015), Aroldis Chapman & Mike Montgomery (2016), Jose Quintana, Alex Avila & Justin Wilson (2017), Cole Hamels, Brandon Kintzler & Jesse Chavez (2018). There aren’t many misses in this group either, as most of these acquisitions have found ways to contribute (nor are there many position players).

This year, of course, they won’t have the August 31 deadline to take advantage of as they have in every season since emerging as surprise contenders in 2015: Austin Jackson & Fernando Rodney (2015), Joe Smith (2016), Leonys Martin (2017) and Daniel Murphy (2018). In a condensed trading period, the Cubs may prove more aggressive in pursuing a backend talent like Kimbrel.

Still, this could be the year the Cubs don’t make an impact move. They’re not wholly unprepared to go to battle with the arms in-house, per The Atheltic’s Sahadev Sharma, who spotlights Dillon Maples, Rowan Wick, and Adbert Alzolay as three depth arms who could make a difference this summer.

Maples has a ton of swing-and-miss in his arsenal, but he also doesn’t have a clue how to harness it, as evidenced in his small sample with the big league club this year. Through six appearances, he’s amassed 4 2/3 innings with eight walks and ten strikeouts. A less-than-five-inning sample hardly packs enough punch to make a statement, but still, 15.4 BB/9 and 19.3 K/9 are jarring numbers to see, especially once you notice they aren’t that far off the norm for Maples. In parts of three seasons at Triple-A, Maples owns a 2.93 ERA with 8.0 BB/9 and 16.4 K/9.

Alzolay, meanwhile, has long been a promising arm for Chicago, but he has yet to make his major league debut, while Wick came to the Cubs from the Padres for Jason Vosler this past winter. Wick was recently recalled after posting strong numbers in Iowa (4.14 K/BB). The Cubs should have high aspirations come October, and betting on this trio of arms to outlast a deep division and long playoff run would be a gamble. So while they may be inclined to use the month of June to evaluate the arms in-house, a decision on Kimbrel will have to be made much much sooner.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top