Chicago Cubs: Which 3 Cubs could be traded during the 2020 season?

Chicago Cubs: Either way, team needs a dominant Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel was supposed to save the 2019 Cubs bullpen. Instead, he doomed it.

The veteran closer, likely bound for Cooperstown when he hangs up his spikes, agreed to a deal with Chicago early last June once he was no longer tied to draft pick compensation. The three-year, $43 million contract was a far cry from what he sought early in the offseason and he looked like the answer for a Cubs staff that regularly struggled in high-leverage spots.

As we all know, that’s not how things played out. Instead, Kimbrel turned in the worst season of his professional career. Across the board, his numbers trended in the wrong direction and now the Cubs are staring at two more years of a closer they’re not sure is up to the job.

But suppose he is and he returns with a vengeance in 2020. If the team is struggling at the deadline, could Epstein look to move off Kimbrel to cut payroll and acquire young talent in return? It’s not out of the question – but such a move would leave a glaring hole at the back end of the Chicago bullpen.