5 players on the waiver wire the Chicago Cubs should claim

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan broke the news that the Los Angeles Angels will be placing five of their players on waivers on Thursday, begging the question if the Chicago Cubs should be in on them.

The Angels players include starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez, and outfielders Hunter Renfro and Randall Grichuk. It's a shocking move considering three of those players were acquired by Los Angeles less than a month ago at the trade deadline. Giolito and Lopez were acquired from the White Sox for top prospects C Edgar Quero and LHP Ky Bush. Those players are now ranked number 3 and number 9 in the White Sox system respectively according to MLB.com. The Angels also sent LHP Mason Albright (no. 22) and RHP Jake Madden (no. 23) to the Rockies for Grichuk and C.J. Cron.

But those moves are now meaningless as the Angels are cutting the players they traded several top prospects to get. While the Angels have had an abysmal August, losing 18 of their 25 games so far, I don't think fans were expecting them to just put a chunk of their roster on waivers and give up. According to Passan, the move is purely to save money since teams will not be required to trade for the players, just put a claim on them and take on their salary if it goes through.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal also reported that several other teams have players on waivers:

New York Yankees: OF Harrison Bader

New York Mets: RHP Carlos Carrasco

White Sox: RHP Mike Clevinger

Detroit Tigers: RHP Jose Cisnero

Passan also went on to iterate that the teams with the worst records will get priority on the list of who gets the players. Meaning the Cubs will be 20th on the list as they currently have a better record than 19 of the 30 teams in the league. However, that shouldn't stop them from at least putting in a claim on some of these players to help bolster the roster for the playoff race.

There is no room in the outfield for Bader, Renfroe, or Grichuk, who are all worse options than everyone the Cubs have. But the rest of the group could provide some depth for the team and help relieve the heavily taxed bullpen.

1. Reynaldo Lopez

Lopez is a 29-year-old right-handed reliever who throws gas on the mound. His fastball regularly sits in the 97-100 mph range, making him an enticing bullpen option for any team. Although he was having a down year with the White Sox, Lopez is sporting a 2.31 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 11.2 innings for the Angels this month.

Lopez would be a great addition for the Cubs and he could slot in as a high-leverage set-up man alongside Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. With Michael Fulmer's injury and Jose Cuas' control problems, Lopez could take the pressure off the inexperienced Daniel Palencia and Keegan Thompson who is fresh off a return from the minor leagues. I bet the Cubs' chances of getting this guy are low since every competing team will probably be in on him, but that shouldn't stop them from trying to get the guy.

Lopez will also be a free agent at the end of the year and his contract in 2023 is only worth $3,650,000 so the Cubs would not be on the hook for much with only a month left of the season.

2. Matt Moore

Similar to Lopez, Moore is a bullpen guy who is playing out the last month of a one-year deal. His contract is a bit more expensive, however, as he signed a 1-year deal worth $7,550,000 with Los Angeles in the offseason. But Moore has been an effective reliever for two straight years at this point and his ERA sits at a more than satisfactory 2.30 over 40 appearances. Moore's name was also attached to the Cubs all offseason simply because he is an effective lefty set-up man, which the Cubs have lacked most of the year.

Although Drew Smyly is now a member of the Cubs' bullpen, I would feel better if Moore joined him just to give David Ross another solid option for the rest of the season. The only other concern is the fact that the 34-year-old Moore spent 6 weeks on the IL earlier this year with a right oblique strain. Should they make a claim on Moore, the Cubs should definitely do their homework and make sure he's healthy.

4. Carlos Carrasco

Another risky depth option would be Carlos Carrasco, who is playing out the last year of a four-year contract in a morbid fashion. The 36-year-old has an ugly 6.80 ERA in 90 innings pitched this year with the Mets. I'm not a huge fan of this option considering Carrasco's major struggles this year (opponents are hitting .310 against him) but he could be useful as the fifth starter and he sure doesn't lack experience.

Carrasco made his MLB debut way back in 2009 so he is a seasoned veteran with a handful of postseason starts under his belt. Interestingly, Carrasco spent the best seasons of his career in Cleveland from 2014-2018, when Cubs' starting catcher Yan Gomes was the primary backstop for the Guardians. Perhaps a little reunion with his old battery mate is what Carrasco needs for a late-career swan song with the Cubs.

5. Mike Clevinger

Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger has been one of the few bright spots on the field for the White Sox this year with a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts. The 32-year-old also has a mutual option worth $12 million for 2024 that looks intriguing when you take into account the wealth of starting pitching prospects the Cubs have coming through the system. Since Clevinger is prone to injury, his relatively low-risk option could be a decent move for the Cubs in 2024 while guys like Jordan Wicks and Cade Horton develop.

Clevinger is a pitcher that Yan Gomes has caught in the past, and he has had some very successful years in the past. Most notably in 2018 when he reached the 200-inning mark while keeping his ERA at a stellar 3.02. The only dicey thing with Clevinger is his off-the-field behavior.

Although he didn't face discipline for it, Clevinger was accused of domestic and child abuse prior to the season. Clevinger has also garnered criticism from past teammates for lying and poor judgment. With the Cubs' clubhouse chemistry seemingly in a good place right now, perhaps the team should think twice about Clevinger.

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