Chicago Cubs: Dellin Betances could be the answer in the bullpen

 The Chicago Cubs have a pressing need for bullpen help. Former Yankees reliever Dellin Betances could help fill a glaring void in the late innings.

In 2019 the Chicago Cubs had a bottom-10 bullpen in Major League Baseball. While collectively, the ERA stayed under 4.00, at 3.98, it was barely under the benchmark and still wasn’t remotely close as the worst part.

The corps carried a 4.54 FIP and a 4.50 xFIP. Both ranged in the ‘below-average’ to ‘poor’ categories according to Fangraphs. Rowan Wick was far and away the best option in the pen last season. He finished with a 2.43 ERA across 33 1/3 innings, posting a very respectable 2.82 FIP with a 25 percent strikeout rate. After that, it dropped off pretty steeply.

Chicago has Craig Kimbrel locked in the middle of a three-year contract that got off to a troubling start. Unfortunately for the career of Brandon Morrow as a Cub, that chapter is over. Following the decline on his option, it opens up some more money. The team also declined the option on Derek Holland. Now, with some resources to play with and a need for relief help, we turn our attention to Dellin Betances.

Chicago Cubs: An impressive career

The rise of Betances in Major League Baseball is certainly a fun one on which to reminisce. Drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 Amateur Draft, Betances finally made his MLB debut in 2011. He made two appearances that year.

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In 2012, Betances spent the year bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A before arrive back in the majors in 2013. Again, the big right-handed flamethrower saw barely any action, throwing only five total innings. It was not a pretty sample size through his first 7 2/3 innings, but things were about to turn around.

Between 2014 and 2015, the big right-hander was the best reliever in the game. He was untouchable. Across 174 innings between the two seasons, Betances carried a 1.45 ERA with a 39.5 percent strikeout rate and allowing just a .153 average to opposing hitters.

The past three seasons have not been as dominant as those two years. However, Betances has still managed to be one of the more imposing bullpen presences in the league. He has a 2.89 ERA in the last three years, with an increased strikeout rate of 41 percent. To pitch in Yankee Stadium on the regular and able to carry a 2.42 xFIP over that span is impressive.

Betances had a brutally tough 2019 campaign. Following a shoulder injury in which he worked back from to pitch late in the season, Betances tore part of his left Achilles, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. Eight pitches and done. He is, however, expected to be fully recovered by December, making him that option to consider.