With the MLB Trade Deadline approaching, the Chicago Cubs might not be involved in a big deal after all.
In what seems to be an annual tradition, the Chicago Cubs are rumored to be looking for relief help at the deadline. Two years ago the team struck a deal with the devil to acquire Aroldis Chapman for Gleyber Torres, the result being the franchise’s first World Series win in 108-years. Last year they made a deal for Wade Davis, albeit to lesser degrees of success.
This year the Cubs are targeting closer help again, and are eyeing Zach Britton. The Orioles closer is a year removed from being considered a Cy Young candidate and is the next biggest name for the club to move after dealing Manny Machado last week.
But Chicago isn’t the only team looking at Britton as a potential October solution. Los Angeles wanted to trade for Brad Hand before he ended up in Cleveland and now find themselves in the market for Britton. Ditto, according to Ken Rosenthal, is virtually every other contender out there.
That means Chicago would need to have the best package among all the suitors, something it doesn’t sound like it has.
According to the Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, it’s “highly unlikely” that the Cubs offer catching prospect Miguel Amaya in a deal for Britton. While that doesn’t outright kill Chicago’s chances of landing him it leaves the door open to be outbid.
On the surface, given how much we’ve all talked about this potential deal, it seems like a failure. But in the context of trading for closers each of the last two years and surrendering top prospects to do it, this isn’t that bad.
Chicago traded Gleyber Torres, one of the most exciting young players this season, to the Yankees for what amounted to a World Series victory. Jorge Soler was traded for Wade Davis last year. Neither pitcher remains with the Cubs yet both pieces they traded away remain in New York and Kansas City. Not betting the farm on a closer for a third straight year is as much of a gamble as trading away another piece of the future to help the present.
The Cubs have an embarrassment of riches as far as young talent goes, but they have one World Series to show for it. While it’s tempting to trade what seems to be excess for a need, Chicago standing firm in not giving up another top prospect for pitching help might be the smart move in the long run.