Chicago Cubs get closer Wade Davis as Chapman exits to Yankees

Say goodbye to Aroldis Chapman and greet new closer Wade Davis. The Chicago Cubs are making serious moves.

I grew up in a time when to have a player of the caliber of Aroldis Chapman would have been almost un-Cub like. Then to let him go and re-sign with the Yankees, well, it is a different era but this Chicago Cubs team is loaded with talent.

The Cubs went out and traded Jorge Soler for Wade Davis, a closer who had a great post-season experience with Kansas City. Davis has an ERA of 0.84 in nine series, with one World Series ring.

You can’t pitch better than that. That’s where the Cubs plan to be in the near future, in the post-season.

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If you read between the lines, Chapman might have not been a good fit in the Windy City. He seems like he has the personality of a high strung, taut, thoroughbred.

Chapman says he is glad to be “back in pinstripes” and the Yankees are glad to have him. I would be glad too, at a record $86 million deal for a closer.

Chapman was lights out during the regular season with a 1.01 ERA.

Postseason Trouble

It was in the World Series where he was hittable, with an ERA of 3.52. He blew the save opportunity in Game 7 but the Chicago Cubs pulled that game out.

The Cubs will survive and thrive without Aroldis. He was basically a three-month rental that paid off. Wade Davis had arm trouble last season and was on the DL twice. He finished the season strong and showed no ill effects from the forearm, mowing down batters in his September outings.

Next: Fowler signs deal with Cardinals

In the press conference announcing this deal, General Manager Jed Hoyer said they looked very hard at Davis and asked Davis to take a physical exam before the deal was consummated. The Chicago Cubs were happy with the results and the team has another arm in the bullpen.

Baseball is an amazing game. You take steps to re-tool key positions, and you get ready to compete. Nothing is given to you, you have to play the nine innings and win the game. The Cubs did that 103 times last season.

Here’s hoping that they can do it again.