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The Chicago Cubs are looking for relief pitching ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Chicago has their eyes on several bullpen targets, per The Athletic.
Chicago is highly-interested in at least four relievers from three different teams. That includes Minnesota Twins players Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. The Cubbies also like Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks, and Atlanta Braves hurler Raisel Iglesias.
“Raisel Iglesias is not having his finest season with the Atlanta Braves, but he is one of several options under consideration, due to his long history of success, as well as his reputation for being a positive clubhouse presence,” Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma wrote.
Duran is a player that several teams want. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also a team inquiring about the Twins closer.
“The Minnesota Twins’ bullpen may not have a great ERA, but talent evaluators around the game see a group loaded with talent. Cubs personnel were blown away by what they witnessed earlier this month at Target Field, where the Twins won the series by taking early leads in two games and turning it over to their high-octane relievers,” the Athletic writers added.
Chicago co-leads the National League Central with a 61-43 record. They are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first.
Cubs have several options to go with for their bullpen needs
The Cubs are in a rock fight for the NL Central this season. While the Brewers are currently tied with Chicago for first, the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals also aren't far behind.
Chicago's trade deadline decisions will go a long way in determining the team's success moving forward. All four of these relief pitchers have shown flashes of brilliance this year.
“The Cubs are also enamored with (Twins) setup man Griffin Jax, whose elevated ERA (4.00) belies his skills as he boasts a strikeout rate of 36.5 percent while walking just 6.8 percent of the batters he’s faced,” the Athletic writers said.
Fairbanks, the fourth reliever mentioned, has worked his way into the closer role in Tampa Bay. The outlet believes that the Rays reliever could find a solid home at Wrigley Field.
“Despite a lower strikeout rate, the results are there, and his solid groundball rate would pair well with Chicago’s infield,” Mooney and Sharma said about Fairbanks.
Time will tell what Chicago decides to do. The Cubs are in action Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.
