Chicago Cubs: Filling huge holes at a small prices

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Cubs needed to fill three main areas last month. They needed a starting pitcher, relievers and an impact bat. They did so without breaking the bank.

Make no mistake about it. The Chicago Cubs boasted a tremendously deep roster even before the additions of the last month-plus. But after Theo Epstein went out and picked up Cole Hamels, Jesse Chavez and Daniel Murphy (among others), this is just getting silly.

Even before then, the team knew it needed more depth to return to the Fall Classic in 2018. The Cubs signed Tyler Chatwood in the winter to help solidify the back end of the starting rotation.

As we know, he hasn’t done that at all. Chatwood has been bad, and by bad I mean completely defective. In 20 starts this year, he is 4-6 with a 5.22 ERA and has issued a league-leading 93 walks.

The other guy the team looked to in terms of pitching? Yu Darvish. Brought in to replace former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, the big right-hander made just eight starts before being shelved, ultimately, for the entire season.