Chicago Cubs Rumors: Team is viewed as buyers and looking to add relievers

Over the course of the past week, it had appeared that the Chicago Cubs were getting closer to solidifying themselves as "buyers" ahead of the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline on August 1 and that confirmation was provided on Sunday.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported on Sunday morning that the Cubs will be buyers at the deadline with the team placing a priority on adding to their bullpen.

Now that the Cubs are certain to add, bullpen needs are a top priority. It's likely the team wants to remain under the first luxury tax threshold, so cheaper additions could be in order. Rockies left-handers Brad Hand and Brent Suter fit the bill, but White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer might be the best of the group simply because he's a ground ball machine.

Bummer has been a popular name on the Cubs' radar over the course of the past week and outside of a trade for Josh Hader of the San Diego Padres or David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bummer likely would cost the most in terms of prospects.

Bummer is under team control through 2026 and despite the 6.69 ERA this season for the White Sox, the White Sox lefty reliever's FIP of 2.40 would suggest that he has been the victim of bad luck. For reference, the White Sox received an organizational top-five prospect from the Houston Astros earlier this week when they acquired catching prospect Korey Lee for relief pitcher Kendall Graveman. Graveman is under team control through 2024.

For the Cubs, the interest in late-inning relievers is simple in the sense that the team is looking to shorten games. In a potential post-season series, the goal for the Cubs would be for the likes of Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, and Kyle Hendricks to go 6 innings and then have multiple late-inning games to bridge the gap to the end of the game. It is a strategy that molds well with their overall run prevention model.

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