Cubs Rumors: Will the team go all-in on Pirates hurler Felipe Vazquez?

Cubs Rumors: Financial flexibility would be huge long-term

As if all that wasn’t enough to sell you on what this guy brings to the table, consider this. A) As I mentioned, he’s just 27 years of age. B) he’s on an incredibly team-friendly deal that looks like this:

• 2019: $4.5 million – obviously, the Cubs, Dodgers or any other team would be on the hook for less than half of that in the event of a midseason acquisition ahead of the July 31 deadline.
• 2020: $5.75 million
• 2021: $7.75 million
• 2022: $10 million (team option)
• 2023: $10 million (team option)

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The prospect cost to acquire someone like Vazquez is undoubtedly going to be staggering. We’re talking about a haul that would help Pittsburgh regain some degree of relevancy for the first time in years. But financially, it opens up all kinds of possibilities for the Cubs.

Chicago has a ton of money coming off the books this winter. Cole Hamels, Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop, Brandon Kintzler, Brian Duensing and Xavier Cedeno will all be free agents. The team holds options on Brad Brach, Brandon Morrow and Tony Barnette. All told, if they declined those options and let everyone walk in a changing-of-the-guard, we’re talking about a whopping $60 million-plus to play with.

Vazquez obviously only takes up a minimal share of that, leaving the Cubs more than enough money to reload along the likes of Carl Edwards, Mike Montgomery, Tyler Chatwood, Kyle Ryan and Adbert Alzolay.

We haven’t seen anything concrete connecting Chicago to the flamethrowing lefty, but if things line up, this might be one of those moves that makes too much sense to pass up.