Cubs finally eye bullpen reinforcements as trade market heats up

The trade market for relief pitchers ahead of the MLB trade deadline may have jumpedstart on Friday when the Baltimore Orioles sent left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto to the New York Mets for two pitching prospects. With the Orioles already missing the opportunity to trade All-Star closer Felix Bautista, given his injury, they wasted no time in moving Soto.

With the trade, the Chicago Cubs may have gotten their first glimpse at the market for relief pitchers. In adding Soto, a free agent after the season, the Mets gave up their No. 19 prospect in right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena and a low-level lottery ticket in right-handed pitching prospect Cameron Foster.

In other words, if the Cubs are looking to add a rental relief pitcher before the deadline, the cost will be an organizational Top 20 prospect and another lower-level prospect. Thanks to Bruce Levine, we have one of the first looks at who the relief pitchers are that the team is targeting.

Cubs could be cooking up a sneaky bullpen move before deadline chaos

Pete Fairbanks has a 2026 club option, so chances are the Tampa Bay Rays will have a higher asking price than what the Orioles had for Soto. Like Soto, Seranthony Dominguez is a free agent after the season, so chances are the Orioles are looking for a similar deal to the one they made with the Mets.

On the surface level, Fairbanks looks like a tremendous addition, having an ERA of 2.84 through his first 39 appearances this season. That said, there's a little bit of Ryan Pressly concern with Fairbanks, considering his strikeout rate has dipped considerably this season. A career strikeout rate of 29.9 percent, Fairbanks is striking out just over 20.3 percent of the hitters he has faced this season. A second straight season where his strikeout rate has been on the decline.

Where Fairbanks lacks in missing bats is where Dominguez thrives. Dominguez is striking out over 31 percent of the hitters he has faced this season. Dominguez also sports an ERA of 3.32 through his first 42 appearances this season.

Fairbanks or Dominguez wouldn't be an Emmanuel Clase level of addition to the Cubs' bullpen, but it would give the team another out-getter in the bullpen. Beyond that, the Cubs would still have prospect capital left for their pursuits of a frontline starting pitcher and Eugenio Suarez.

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