Yankees: 3 easy replacements for Aroldis Chapman

Craig Kimbrel is the perfect half-season rental the Yankees are in dire need of

It has been a year of highs and lows for the Chicago Cubs. After a terrible April, the Cubs played very well in May and the first half of June. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have not been kind on the North Sider. They have really fallen back of late to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings. With an inevitable rebuild coming, that means Craig Kimbrel should become available.

In his 12th big-league season out of Huntsville, Ala., the fireballing right-hander is having one of his best years to date. He has earned yet another trip to the MLB All-Star Game, as he has an 0.59 ERA and a 0.652 WHIP in 32 appearances for the Cubs. Kimbrel has already notched another 20 saves on the resume heading into an offseason where he is hitting unrestricted free agency.

If Chicago cannot contend with the Brewers in the NL Central, then the Cubs need to sell high on Kimbrel. He will be 34-years-old next season, and is probably not going to re-up with Chicago on a new contract once they head towards a rebuild. Though he will not come cheap, Kimbrel is the perfect half-year rental a team in dire need of a jolt like the Yankees could use out of their bullpen.

Overall, the Yankees do have plenty of options to entertain if they want to upgrade their relief corps at the trade deadline. Maybe Chapman can get back to good here soon? If not, the Yankees may want to see if they can put together a compelling offer for someone like Kennedy, Kimbrel or Rodriguez in the next few weeks. Those guys could be moving. Maybe one heads to New York?

What other relievers should the Yankees look at if they want to move off Chapman here soon?