Chicago Cubs: Brandon Morrow injury makes trade for impact arm crucial

Regardless of the severity of the injury to closer Brandon Morrow, it serves as a cautionary tale for a Chicago Cubs team chasing another championship.

No one expect Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow to be sidelined for very long. The team placed him on the 10-day disabled list earlier this week with biceps inflammation, leaving Joe Maddon with a closer-by-committee setup for this weekend’s showdown with the Cardinals.

The right-hander, enjoying a stellar first year as a big league closer, missed time earlier this year, as well, when he tweaked his back getting dressed. Both of these disabled list stints seem pretty minor, sure, but that’s not to say the ‘big one’ isn’t waiting around the corner.

For months, Chicago and high-end arms connected off and on in rumors. Brad Hand, who joined the Cleveland Indians earlier this week in a big-time deal with the Padres, is off the board. But there are still plenty of alternatives to shore up a heavily-taxed Cubs pen.

Maybe you’d prefer the Cubs prioritize the rotation. I can’t say I disagree with that thinking, but with the amount of money sunk in the current staff, it seems likely they push forward with this group.

Chicago Cubs: Keeping tabs on an elite reliever

With Brandon Morrow sidelined, adding an impact arm to the back of the bullpen could bode well for the Cubs. There’s plenty of pitching to be had on the trade market and, with 10 days till the deadline, one name keeps coming up.

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Zach Britton.

Once Baltimore dealt Manny Machado, the O’s were open for business. Britton, along with guys like Adam Jones, seem likely to be dealt in the next week-plus. It’s rebuild time in Baltimore – and the Cubs seem likely to revisit a team they have plenty of familiarity with.

Britton, 30, hits the open market at season’s end and needs to re-establish his value before then. He’s battled injury for awhile now and, thus, isn’t getting the kind of hype on the rumor mill. If this guy was healthy, we’d be as excited about a Britton trade as we all were about Manny Machado moving.

The good news? With his value in a valley, the Cubs have a chance to pull off a deal. With a depleted farm system, they could have never managed the acquisition of a Zach Britton in his prime. But given his walk rate is up, strikeout rate is down and he’s managed just 14 2/3 innings?

It could very well happen.