The Chicago Cubs have added to their arsenal by signing former Twins relief pitcher Joe Nathan.
The Chicago Cubs are all in for a World Series title this season. Their recent moves have proved that. During the offseason, they added Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, and John Lackey. They even re-signed fourth outfielder Dexter Fowler. In an under the radar move, the Cubs are now expected to sign Joe Nathan. Nathan has also pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, and Detroit Tigers.
Cubs roll dice on rehabbing former All-Star closer Joe Nathan with low-risk deal for '16. If goes to plan could be ready to pitch 2nd half.
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) May 17, 2016
Nathan hasn’t been effective since 2013. He was very ineffective for the Tigers in 2014 and Tommy John surgery prevented him from rebounding in 2015. However, given his pedigree, he could easily help the Cubs, especially if he can get back to what he was in 2013.
The Cubs bullpen has several underachievers so far this season, the most obvious being Justin Grimm and Travis Wood. Both of those players have ERAs above 4.80, and it’s hard to imagine that Nathan could do much worse than Clayton Richard, who has a 6.38 ERA through 10 games.
The Cubs expect Nathan to be ready around the second half of the 2016 season. It’s a great low-risk, high-reward signing by the Cubs. They need depth in order to win their first World Series title since 1908. Nathan could easily be a useful contributor for the Cubs come playoff time, though he will most likely be used in more of a middle relief or mop up role.
For more MLB coverage, check out our hub page.