Chicago Cubs Rumors: Trey Mancini campaigns for Zack Britton signing

It has been no secret that the Chicago Cubs may not be done adding to their bullpen as team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters last week to not be surprised if the team adds another reliever before Opening Day.

Former All-Star closer Zack Britton has been at the forefront of rumored targets for the Cubs for much of the past month and Britton was the topic of Patrick Mooney's latest piece for The Athletic. Mooney spoke with Trey Mancini regarding the impact that Britton had on him during the early part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles.

“He’d be a huge asset to whoever signs him,” Mancini said. “I hope it’s us. He’s somebody that I loved playing with. He’s somebody that I definitely looked up to when I got called up. I learned by the example that all those guys set. It was such a great group there at the time. They really taught me a lot. He was at the forefront of that.”

The market for veteran left-handed reliever has dried up in recent days with Will Smith and Brad Hand finding new homes and if the Cubs are intent on adding a reliever before Opening Day, Britton may be at the top of their list. Britton fits the mold of the type of reliever that the team has had success with in the past with the most recent example being David Robertson last season.

Mike Minor also gets a mention in Mooney's update with The Athletic as the Cubs' insider notes that the team had an interest in Minor to be their closer following 2017. Minor has struggled considerably for much of the past three seasons, however, and does not appear to be the best fit for the Cubs at this point in his career.

For the Cubs, it should be Britton or bust. The team has collected a plethora of arms over the course of the offseason that could be molded into being an effective reliever at the Major League level. If Britton signs elsewhere, the Cubs should begin the season with what they have and leave room for additions in-season.