The Chicago Cubs are going to have to be big players at the upcoming trade deadline to maintain their lead in the National League Central.
Chicago got off to a blazing start and held a division lead as large as 6 1/2 games. But that lead has shrunk to three, as the two-time defending Central champion Milwaukee Brewers have come storming back in June.
Though the Cubs' offense probably doesn't need a major upgrade, the pitching staff certainly does. They'd benefit from at least one more starter, and bringing in a high-leverage reliever is on the essentials list as well.
Could they find that perfect fit for their bullpen from the worst team in the sport?
On Friday, Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated predicted that the Cubs would trade for Colorado Rockies reliever Jake Bird, who will probably be his team's lone All-Star this season thanks to a team-high 1.8 bWAR.
"Bird has managed to nearly double his strikeout rate (30.1%) from last year during his fourth season in the majors," Selbe wrote. "The righthander has actually performed far better this year at Coors Field than on the road, though he’d likely figure out how to succeed in another home park once he isn’t constantly changing altitudes.
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"The Rockies have precious few tradable assets and should probably cash in on a reliever who, while performing admirably, isn’t doing much to change their fortunes and is under team control through 2028."
The 30-year-old Bird has a 2.62 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. He usually works more than one inning per appearance, which would be a huge asset to any contender.
The fact that the Cubs would have Bird locked up for three years would be a nice bonus, considering their roster is likely to see lots of other turnover. Much of the bullpen will hit free agency before then, and of course, Kyle Tucker could be gone next year.
Is Bird alone enough to take the Cubs to the World Series? Probably not, but he could be a key part of their late-game strategy.
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