Cubs Rumors: Is Craig Kimbrel ready to drop his demands for a deal?

Free agent closer Craig Kimbrel has reportedly lowered his demands. Given their early bullpen struggles, will Cubs rumors connecting him to Chicago surface?

We’re nearly three weeks into the Major League Baseball regular season, yet Craig Kimbrel remains unsigned. Now, the reason why is a hotly-contested matter in and of itself. Maybe his camp set the bar too high out of the gates. Or perhaps front offices simply evaluate talent differently than they did in the past. Either way, the latest Cubs rumors suggest the right-hander may be willing to make some concessions in order to get back to the mound.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Kimbrel is seeking a deal in the ballpark of those received by former Cubs closer Wade Davis (three years, $52 million) and left-hander Zack Britton (three years, $39 million). That’s a far cry from the reported $100 million he was looking for when the offseason began last fall and will undoubtedly alter the teams willing to consider the veteran hurler.

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To this point, the Cubs have sat on the sidelines when it comes to Kimbrel. The club could get their presumed closer, Brandon Morrow, back in early May – giving the pen an immediate boost. Despite his issues staying healthy, when he’s on the mound, he’s been lights-out. Last year, his first season in Chicago, the right-hander pitched to a 1.47 ERA, 1.076 WHIP and 289 ERA+.

Whether or not he can stay healthy for the remainder of 2019 remains to be seen. In his stead, Pedro Strop has assumed ninth-inning duties in an unofficial capacity. Strop has struggled a bit early, with a 4.50 ERA in his first five appearances of the year.

What would adding Kimbrel to the mix mean? The bullpen immediately gets deeper – something that’s been a concern already this year. Long-man Mike Montgomery is working his way back from an IL stint and Carl Edwards punched his ticket to Triple-A Iowa after a series of horrendous outings in the season’s first week. In their stead, Chicago turned to Kyle Ryan and Allen Webster – hardly names that inspire fear in opponents.

Through their first 15 games, the Cubs bullpen ranks 25th in baseball with a 5.63 earned run average. Their 1.71 WHIP does them no favors, nor does their .260 opponent batting average. Walks have cost them multiple wins, including Saturday’s loss to the Angels at Wrigley Field.

The (multi) million dollar question is this: would Kimbrel remedy those issues?

There’s no way of answering it with certainty. Last season, the then-Red Sox closer saw a significant drop in his velocity, struggled in the postseason and saw his metrics trend in the wrong direction almost universally. But he’s still undoubtedly among the best closers to ever play the game and gives you some firepower at the back end of the pen.

Most of the Cubs rumors we’ve seen in the last six months point to a resounding ‘no’ when it comes to the team potentially pursuing Kimbrel. But with a reduced asking price and a glaring need in the late innings, the team owes it to themselves to, at the very least, kick the tires on a short-term deal.