3 trade targets the Cubs should pivot to with the Emmanuel Clase news

The Chicago Cubs were supposedly one of the teams involved in the Emmanuel Clase sweepstakes before Monday's shocking news that he had been placed on non-disciplinary leave in connection to a gambling investigation.

The Cubs are looking for pitching help in their rotation and in the bullpen, so Clase was certainly an option with the Guardians no strangers to trading players early. Clase could have fetched a hefty price too, since he is signed to an extremely team-friendly deal for the next four seasons and he has been an incredibly consistent closer for years.

But now that his future is uncertain, the Guardians won't be able to trade him and the Cubs will have to look at these other options to help solidify their bullpen for October.

1. RHP Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins

Jhoan Duran is having the best season of his career, with a 1.86 ERA through his first 48 appearances. As the Minnesota Twins' closer, the 27-year-old has collected 16 saves and struck out 52 players in 48.1 innings. Duran is also using his triple-digit fastball velocity and elite splitter to induce ground balls at a league-best rate of 66.9 percent.

With two more years of arbitration left on his contract, Duran would be very expensive but his talents have been consisent going on four years now (career 2.44 ERA and 74 saves). Adding him to an excellent bullpen that already has solid guys like Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller, and Caleb Thielbar would give the Cubs a formiddable, playoff contending reliever group.

2. RHP Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks is also having a solid enough year to fetch his team some good young prospects in a trade. With the Rays 10 games back in their division and a slew of good teams in the AL WIld Card race, the Rays could opt to cash in on Fairbanks' value since he is healthy and pitching well (2.84 ERA in 39 games).

Fairbanks is a 6'6 righty whose fastball has averaged 97.3 mph this year. His fastball and slider combo have been inducing a lot of ground balls (48.6 percent). Although his walk rate is a bit high at 9.5 percent, Fairbanks has been able to escape a lot of the trouble he's put himself in. The veteran is no stranger to the pressure of the ninth inning, with 80 career saves for the Rays.

Injuries have been a challenge for Fiarbanks in the past, but he is a very effective reliever when he's on the mound and the Cubs could use him down the stretch and into October. Fairbanks also has a club option worth $7 million for 2026, which the Cubs would undoubtedly exercise if they acquire him.

3. RHP Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals

The Cubs have been linked to Washington Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan for three straight trade deadlines and this year is no different. Despite having a down year (4.50 ERA), the 33-year-old has still converted 19 saves for Washington and he was having a great year before giving up 10 earned runs this July. All of those runs were surrendered in three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Cincinnati Reds, who were all enjoying hot stretches when Finnegan faced them.

If you take away those three outings, Finnegan's season ERA drops to 2.23. He has shown that he can still be effective in high leverage spots, and the Cubs would not necessarily be forced to use him in the ninth inning with Daniel Palencia holding down the closer job. Finnegan could be relagated to the eighth inning setup job and fill in for Palencia when he's unavailable.

With the Nationals effecitvely out of the playoff picture this year, there's little reason for them to keep Finnegan since he will again hit free agency this winter.