AL contender lands Cubs bullpen target as clock ticks down

As the Chicago Cubs try to pry starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore away from the Washington Nationals, the Nationals have sent another rumored Cubs' trade target to the Detroit Tigers. Nationals' closer Kyle Finnegan was traded to the Detroit Tigers for two low-level pitching prospects.

AL contender swoops in to steal bullpen arm Cubs were circling

After adding Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night, there was a belief that the Cubs may aim for a high-leverage relief pitcher before the deadline on Thursday evening. That said, as long as the Cubs are involved in a potential blockbuster deal involving Gore, chances are their other pursuits have moved to the back burner.

An All-Star with the Nationals last season, the Cubs had some interest in Finnegan over the offseason after he was non-tendered. Instead, Finnegan returned to the Nationals. Through 40 appearances this season, Finnegan has an ERA of 4.38 while striking out over 19 percent of the hitters he has faced this season.

As of now, it's been a quiet deadline day for the Cubs--making their moves for Kittredge and starting pitcher Michael Soroka on Wednesday night. Each of those moves gave the impression that something larger would be at play for the Cubs before the deadline on Thursday evening. Considering the recent surge from the Milwaukee Brewers in the division, it seemed that the writing was on the wall for Jed Hoyer to be aggressive at the deadline.

Hoyer's front office is notoriously tight-lipped, so if the Cubs are working on something big, chances are we won't know about it until the deal has been finalized. One thing is certain: if the Cubs walk away from the deadline with only Kittredge and Soroka in hand, Hoyer's approval rating will instantly sink. And, it wouldn't be the greatest of looks, considering he signed a multi-year contract extension earlier this week.

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