3 realistic relievers the Chicago Cubs should target

2 of 3

With only eight days until the MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs are in a predicament regarding what to do this season. For one, as we saw last year, you have winnable games coming up and several other reasons to believe the Cubs could come on strong in the 2nd half. Part of that, however, will take winning games over the next week to prove to Jed Hoyer and company that this team has a fighting chance. They currently sit 6.5 out of the NL Central, but now only 5.0 games out of the Wild Card. Both are certainly still within reach.

With the Cubs currently at an estimated tax payroll of $221.2M, nearly 12.0M under the first tier of the luxury tax threshold, they still have plenty of room to add salary for guys that have already paid for two-thirds of the season. Should the Cubs be buyers, they certainly can afford a reliever and a hitter. These three relievers are some of the calibers the Cubs can target and keep a close eye on as the trade deadline draws near.

3 relievers to target via trade - Daniel Bard

Starting with Daniel Bard of the Colorado Rockies. Impressively, Bard has a 2.02 ERA. Looking at some significant splits for pitchers that play at Coors Field, Bard owns a 2.50 ERA at home this year, which is nothing short of incredible. On the road, however, in 17.2 IP, Bard has a 1.53 ERA. His salary is steep at 9.5M annually, but his reputation is someone you can depend on to come in a game and lock it down.

If he were inserted into the Chicago Cubs bullpen today, he would have the best ERA and could certainly be used in closing duties if the opportunity arose. Part of the trade deadline plans for the Cubs need to be seeing how they can get set up for next season. Adding Bard to the mix now gives them a jump start on a solid bullpen for 2024. Nevertheless, the Cubs won't be the only ones in line but must be ready to strike if they can part with what the Rockies will want in return.

3 relievers to target via trade - Kendall Graveman

With the White Sox being obvious sellers at the deadline this season, it will be interesting to see how much they unload and scrap their team to rebuild. There are already rumors that the Houston Astros are hot on the trail of Dylan Cease and Luis Robert, but one target the Cubs can look to pluck from the Southsiders is Kendall Graveman.

On the second year of a three-year deal, Graveman also comes with another year of control. His numbers aren't quite as pretty as Bard's, with a 3.56 ERA, but a decent chunk of that was from his most recent outing in which he gave up three runs, raising his ERA from 3.00 to the 3.56 he owns now. Nevertheless, Graveman has eight saves on the season and is sure to draw some attention from multiple teams. The Cubs fall right in line as they do with Bard as someone who they could use in the backend of the bullpen but can also afford to keep around next season as well.

3 relievers to target via trade - 1. Brooks Raley

For multiple reasons, Brooks Raley tops the list as a reliever the Cubs can target in late-game situations. For one, the Cubs critically need another productive lefty in the bullpen. For two, if he doesn't work out, he has a club option after this season, so you could always keep him for another year after this. For three, he's been lights out this season for the New York Mets, who surprisingly find themselves 18.5 back in the NL East at the time of writing.

On the season, Raley owns a sparkly 2.08 ERA with 34.2 IP this season. The Cubs certainly need to bolster the back end of their bullpen. The only hiccup here is that the Mets may want to avoid trading Raley, given that he's been solid and has the extra year of control, so they can begin to retool for 2024. However, given the state of their farm system, particularly among pitchers, and how awry things get at the major league level as soon as someone has to miss time, the Mets need to find a way to rebuild as much as possible. With their unlimited funds from owner Steve Cohen, the Mets will have no problem finding another relief arm or two in free agency for 2024.

Latest Chicago Cubs News and Rumors:

feed

Home / Chicago Cubs News