Chicago Cubs: Manuel Rodriguez has the makings of a future closer

(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

This upcoming Friday will mark two weeks since this year’s MLB trade deadline. As we all know, for the Chicago Cubs, this deadline was eventful, to say the least, as the North Siders sent several of their best and most notable players packing. Beloved fan-favorites Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo found themselves headed to the Big Apple in deals with the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, respectively. In addition, jack-of-all trades and former MVP Kris Bryant, who had been at the center of this season’s swirling trade rumors, found himself suiting up for the San Francisco Giants.

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While these deals brought in an abundance of highly-ranked prospects, the Cubs still lost the majority of their core. Besides the players named above, Chicago also traded away critical pieces of the bullpen that helped the team stay above water this season. All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel was headed across town to the South Side, and both Andrew Chafin and Ryan Tepera found themselves packing to play for different clubs, as well.

Following the trade deadline, I wrote about trade acquisition Codi Heuer and how he would benefit the bullpen with those three relievers gone. But, besides trade acquisitions bolstering the bullpen, there is an open door for fresh, young talent in the Chicago Cubs farm system to the major leagues and show their stuff. That’s where relievers such as 24-year-old righty Manuel Rodriguez come in.

Chicago Cubs Manuel Rodriguez will bolster the bullpen this season

Rodriguez is not a new face to the organization. In 2016, he signed with the Cubs out of the Mexican League. Rodriguez spent a significant amount of time in the team’s minor league system and drew attention from the coaching staff by 2020. In the spring of 2020, he was placed on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. However, during spring training, he strained his right bicep and was sidelined right before the pandemic wound up shutting down the MiLB season.

Fast forward to this year and Rodriguez spent time with both Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. Cubs fans might remember him from the 2021 All-Star Futures Game where he took the bump at Coors Field, reaching 100 MPH on the national stage. A couple days before the trade deadline, Rodriguez recorded his seventh straight scoreless outing in Triple-A and joined the Cubs’ taxi squad. From there, he had an excellent chance to land a spot on the roster; it was only a matter of time.

Soon enough, that time came. In just days later, Rodriguez made his MLB debut on July 30 against the Washington Nationals in the eighth inning of a one-run game. He retired the side in order. Then, Rodriguez took the mound at Coors Field once again on August 4, when he earned his first major league save in the team’s 3-2 victory over the Rockies.

Rodriquez is one of the Cubs’ most promising young arms and is essential to the success of impending rebuild. Appearing in six games so far this season and pitching a total of four innings, Rodriguez has a 6.75 ERA with four strikeouts and one lone save. Notably, Rodriguez has hit triple digits and is quite the flamethrower.

With that being said since the opportunity has presented Itself, Rodriguez can show his stuff in the big leagues and possibly work toward becoming the team’s future closer. After all, it is time to look to the future – and this kid looks like a key piece.

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