Chicago Cubs: Bullpen can still improve following Craig Kimbrel signing

Chicago Cubs: Sean Doolittle is still one of the best

Another left-handed reliever the Cubs need to check in on is Washington Nationals’ closer Sean Doolittle. The lefty is not having his best season for a struggling Nationals team so he would likely come a lot cheaper than Hand. He is also in the final season of his contract, although there is a team option for 2020.

To this point in the season, Doolittle has a 3.04 ERA, which is the highest it’s been since the 2016 season. He’s surrendered nine earned runs and three long balls while blowing two saves in the process. On the season he has 13 saves so far.

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He hasn’t been as dominant as he has been in recent seasons as his strikeout numbers are slightly down while his FIP stands at 3.05. He’s struck out 33 batters and walked just seven, posting a 4.71 strikeout to walk ratio, his lowest since 2015.

One area Doolittle has been dominant this season is against left-handed batters. In 10 1/3 innings against them, he has surrendered zero runs and struck out 13. He’s only walked two left-handers and given up four hits. Lefties are hitting just .118 off of Doolittle.

Unlike Cleveland, I think it’s pretty clear that Washington will be sellers at the trade deadline. I don’t see them winning the NL East and they are five games back in the Wild Card.

Doolittle will be coveted by a lot of teams but I think he could make a great impact on the Cubs if they were to land him, giving them that much-needed late-inning lefty presence.