Chicago Cubs: Best deadline trades during the Theo Epstein regime

Doing the minimum

In 2015, the Cubs weren’t exactly tearing it up heading into the deadline. But the play had improved, and Epstein decided that pitching was where they needed the help. So the Cubs made a move to trade Junior Lake to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Tommy Hunter. Lake had fallen out of favor after a solid rookie year in 2013 (.284, 6 HR, 16 RBI). He was never able to find the stroke he had in ’13, and the Cubs decided they could do without him.

In Hunter, the Cubs got a pitcher that had saved a few games the year before (11 of 17) but looked to fit in the middle of the pen. Unfortunately, Hunter wasn’t the same pitcher that he was for the O’s. After posting a 3.63 in 39 appearances with Baltimore, he struggled with the Cubs. In 15 2/3 innings, he allowed four home runs (only three in Baltimore) to the tune of a 5.74 ERA. Hunter wouldn’t make the playoff roster as the Cubs would lose to the New York Mets in the NLCS.