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MLB Winter Meetings: Five biggest winners

By Joshua Sadlock

Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) throws to first base to check on a runner agaiinst the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) throws to first base to check on a runner agaiinst the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 10, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (17) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Kansas City won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (17) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Kansas City won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs entered the Winter Meetings with only one apparent need — an elite closer. Having spent big last winter, it just wasn’t in Theo Epstein’s budget to spend big on one of the big three free-agent closers. It also wouldn’t hurt if the Cubs could unload some of their overflowing outfield depth.

Mission accomplished.

Chicago traded outfielder Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals for All-Star closer Wade Davis. The move gives the Cubs the closer they needed, while also unclogging the outfield. While Soler may someday blossom into the All-Star outfielder his raw tools suggest he may be, there was no room for him in Chicago with Kyle Schwarber coming back from his ACL injury. In three years with the Cubs, Soler slashed .258/.328/.434 with 27 home runs in 211 games, a far cry from what was expected of him. Soler was never going to get the at-bats he needed in Chicago to reach his potential.

Davis becomes the new closer for the Cubs, and they don’t have to commit to him long-term. The 31-year-old right-hander did spend most of the second half on the DL with a flexor strain. His numbers were off slightly from 2014-2015, when he went on an epic run with a 0.97 ERA across 139.1 innings. With an expiring contract, the Cubs get a chance to see what Davis has left this season before making a decision. No one in baseball is better at formulating a plan and then executing it than Epstein, and he got what he needed to get done at the Winter Meetings.

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