While the Cubs bullpen has certainly stabilized from the terrible mess that it was during the first week of the season, Wednesday’s news of Pedro Strop going on the injured list with a hamstring strain coupled with Brandon Morrow’s unknown timetable to return doesn’t bode well for the near and distant future of the Cubs bullpen.
Carl Edwards Jr. is back from his demotion to Triple-A and so far in two outings he’s pitched extremely well, striking out two and walking none in two innings against the Marlins. Lefty Mike Montgomery is also back from the injured list, but as of now the Cubs lack that much needed reliever depth to close out games.
The bullpen always seems to be a work in progress and 2019 is no different, as Theo Epstein and the front office are well aware that more changes will happen.
You can guarantee the Cubs will make at least one trade this season for a reliever and according to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine two teams might already be positioning themselves to make a deal with the Cubs.
Via 670 The Score.
The Giants and Tigers have had a heavy presence in scouting the Cubs recently, sources said, an indication trade discussions may lie ahead.
There are two guys you’d love for the Cubs to get from either the Giants or Tigers.
Left-hander Will Smith of the Giants currently has a 3.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and 4 walks in 13.2 innings. Since the start of 2015, his ERA hasn’t been above 3.68. Last year in 53 innings, Smith struck out 33.8% of the batters he faced. So, not just a lefty, but a lefty who will get you lots of strikeouts.
Smith, 29, will make $4.225 million this season. He’ll be a free agent after 2019.
Shane Greene has been pitching for the Tigers since 2015 and seeing that they’re going nowhere they could try to package him for a few prospects. Greene, 30, will make $4 million in 2019 and then have on more year of arbitration before he can hit the free agent market.
The right-hander has been awesome so far this year, posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 16 innings. He has 20 strikeouts to only four walks.
So, stay tuned. The Cubs will make a move and it could be with one of these two teams. Seems like Cubs fans have been wishing for a trade to get Will Smith since the offseason. Maybe it finally comes true.
