Cubs Rumors: Team acquires Toronto Blue Jays reliever David Phelps

Well, it’s no Ken Giles, but the Chicago Cubs took a step in the right direction on Tuesday, trading for reliever David Phelps in hopes of shoring up a shaky bullpen corps.

Phelps, 32, missed the entire 2018 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but was a very solid setup man in the years leading up to that point. From 2016 to 2017, pitching for Miami and Seattle, the right-hander worked to a 3.09 FIP and 2.72 ERA across 118 appearances.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

So far this season, Phelps carries a 3.12 ERA in just eight appearances – although his 4.79 FIP is slightly concerning. In terms of stuff, he’s down a tick from his pre-Tommy John days – with his fastball averaging 92.3 MPH (he sat at 94.7 from 2016-17), but it stands to reason that the further he gets from his surgery, he might recapture some of that lost velocity.

To be fair, Phelps has been really good on the road (in an admittedly small sample size), holding opponents to a .179/.258/.321 line this season. We can hope that translates to success for Chicago down the stretch and help fill the team’s most glaring need

Chicago has had a notorious late-inning problem in recent weeks and hopefully Phelps helps address it. A major piece of the puzzle that hasn’t fit where it’s supposed to has been Pedro Strop, the long-reliable reliever who has fallen out of favor after battling control and velocity issues pretty much all season.

It’s hard knowing what role Phelps will fill for Joe Maddon, but given the fact the team placed Strop on the IL Tuesday, there’s a definite need to bridge the gap between the rotation and closer Craig Kimbrel. The club also recalled Duane Underwood from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move, but it’s hard to envision him getting the ball in many high-leverage spots.

The biggest hurdle the Cubs are trying to clear ahead of Wednesday’s trade deadline is their current financial situation. The signing of Kimbrel essentially handicapped the front office until season’s end – so the fact Toronto included cash with Phelps in the deal that sent minor leaguer Thomas Hatch to the Jays shouldn’t be overlooked, either.

Who knows if this will be the last deal from Theo Epstein before mid-afternoon Wednesday. But I think it’s telling that the team is really working to stay within itself and maybe buy low on some guys (think Jesse Chavez last summer) rather than blow us all away with another gaudy, high-profile trade.