The date is April 10th. The Chicago Cubs have just lost a game to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2. This marked eight losses in their first 11 games. Doubters seemed to forget that there was 151 games left following this meaning loss to the Pirates. The Cubs went on to win 22 of their next 28 games, and all was well again in Wrigley Field.
As we approach the end of June, the Cubs currently sit in first place in the NL Central. The St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers are right on their tails in the next two spots. The Cubs are getting major contributions from four familiar faces. Willson Contrearas leads the team in batting average at .292. Anthony Rizzo has hit 19 home runs and driven in 53, both team highs. Kris Bryant has a .394 on-base percentage while Javier Baez has collected 84 hits. All four players are hitting over .275 on the season.
The starting rotation in Chicago has been solid. Cole Hamels has rejuvenated his career in a Cubs' uniform as he is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA. Kyle Hendricks has rebounded from a tough start to the year while, Jose Quintana continues to be a model of consistency. The one area that is struggling is the bullpen. Come the trade deadline, Theo Epstein knows that he will need to improve the pen if the Cubs want to compete in the post season.
1. Ken Giles
The Cubs have shown interest in the Toronto Blue Jays' closer already this season. And why not? Giles has appeared in 26 games, throwing 26 innings and striking out 44. He has 11 saves and has allowed three earned runs, that is a 1.04 ERA. Giles recently spent a small amount of time on the IL. There was no serious concern as he is already back with the Jays.
Chicago recently went out and signed Craig Kimbrel to close games. When he will be ready to join the big league club is unknown. Entering the second half of the season and possibly the playoffs, a back end of Kimbrel and Giles sounds pretty good. There has been no indication from the front office on if they plan on trading Giles at all. With two years of control left, he would be a valuable trade chip for a team that is not going anywhere this season in Toronto.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera
It is unknown when or if Ben Zobrist will return to the team after taking a personal leave of absence. This leaves the Cubs weak at second base. The infield is rock solid with Rizzo, Baez, and Bryant, however, there is a problematic hole at second base. Chicago cannot move forward with David Descalso, Addison Russell, and David Bote manning the position. This is where Chicago could be looking to add a veteran player who will not cost much. Neil Walker is a strong option, but the player they should look at is Asdrubal Cabrera.
Cabrera signed with the Rangers on a one-year deal in January. He has not played much second base this season, however, he lived at the position in 2018 with the Mets and Phillies. Cabrera has hit 20 or more home runs in two of the last three seasons. He has 11 this season despite batting just .242. The veteran infielder has also driven in 43. This is not a long term commitment. Cabrera is a high energy player that could immediately shoot energy into a clubhouse. If Zobrist is gone for longer than management hopes, Cabrera would be a nice addition to the already strong infield.
3. Will Smith
The Cubs are in need of a left-handed relief pitcher. The Giants have two that could be of use, but Will Smith should be the priority. Smith spent the last two full seasons in San Francisco after being traded from Milwaukee in 2016. He has 19 saves this season. Smith has appeared in 30 games, throwing 29.2 innings to the tune of a 2.12 ERA.
Again, pairing a strong reliever with Kimbrel in the back of the bullpen would be extremely beneficial for the Cubs as they move forward. Smith and the Cubs have been linked this season so do not be surprised if both sides can come to an agreement.
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