Chicago Cubs are kicking the tires on acquiring Wade Davis

With Aroldis Chapman seemingly all but gone, the Chicago Cubs are currently evaluating their options for their 2017 closer. While they could spend money in free agency, acquiring a guy like Wade Davis also is a reasonable option.

Monday afternoon, a report surfaced from ESPN’s Marly Rivera regarding free agent closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman was dealt to the Chicago Cubs at the 2016 trade deadline, assisting the Cubs to a World Series victory. Now, though, it seems that the team is all but moved on from the Cuban flamethrower.

According to Rivera’s report, the Cubs “have never expressed any interest in re-signing me, as far as I know,” Chapman said. The Cubs’ supposed lack of interest does generate an interesting situation, whether or not Chapman’s statement is true. If Chapman does not return, who will close out games in 2017?

The Cubs have several in-house candidates for the job, including Hector Rondon and Carl Edwards Jr. Rondon is qualified, as he was obviously the team’s closer in 2015 and part of 2016 before Chapman’s arrival. Edwards is young, but his 95+ MPH fastball is perfect for late-game situations, just like Chapman’s 100+ MPH fastball.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

If the Cubs choose to go outside the organization, free agency is clearly an option. They could decide to bring back Chapman on a multi-year deal. In Rivera’s report, Chapman said any news stating he is asking for $100+ million is false.

While Chapman said he isn’t demanding $100 million, other possible factors might make the Cubs nervous. For example, they could simply be weary about giving a reliever a six-year deal. If this is true, they could discuss signing Kenley Jansen, a free agent closer of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lockdown

Similar to Chapman, Jensen is looking for a multi-year contract. Jansen saved 47 games in 2016, striking out 104 batters all while having a 1.83 ERA. However, the fact that he is seeking a long contract like Chapman could keep the Cubs from pursuing him.

While things can change, it seems that the Cubs will not wind up signing Chapman or Jansen this winter. In fact, GM Jed Hoyer said the team won’t be as active in free agency as they were last year.

“I don’t think it will be an extravaganza, as it was last year. We don’t need to do that. But we are going to be looking at a lot of ways to acquire pitching,” Hoyer said.

By “a lot of ways,” Hoyer is not only referencing free agency, but also the trade market. If the Cubs do indeed acquire a closer, Wade Davis of the Kansas City Royals should be their top target.

Originally a starting pitcher, Davis has excelled in the Royals’ bullpen the last couple of seasons. Since 2014, Davis’ ERA has been 1.00, 0.94 and 1.87 respectively. More importantly, his postseason ERA with the Royals was 0.63 in 2014 (12 IP) and 0.00 in 2015 (10.2 IP).

In simple terms, Davis has been nasty during his tenure in the Royals’ bullpen. If the Cubs truly don’t want to spend big in free agency, trading for Davis and his $10 million 2017 salary would be a great move for the team. On Monday, multiple reports popped up discussing the Cubs desire to acquire Davis.

It is still to be determined whether or not the Cubs acquire Davis, let alone if the Royals trade him. If a trade does come to fruition, Jorge Soler could be part of a package sent to Kansas City, according to Bruce Levine.

The Cubs have more outfielders than positions, currently juggling at least seven players for their three outfield jobs. With Kyle Schwarber set to return to his starting LF position in 2017 and by signing Jon Jay, trading an outfielder for pitching is more than a logical move.

Since his promotion the big leagues in September 2014, Soler has struggled to stay healthy. In 2015, Soler played just 101 games; in 2016, he played just 86. At some point, the Cubs have a big decision to make. They must decide whether they want to continue waiting for Soler to stay healthy to determine his true value or to move on and trade him.

Next: Trades could dominate NL Central this month

A trade of Soler for Davis straight up probably is not realistic, as Soler has not produced enough to equal the value of Davis. Over the next couple of weeks, it will be interesting to see what the Royals get if they do trade Davis, especially if the Cubs are the team that winds up acquiring him.