The Chicago Cubs traded for Ryan Pressly during the offseason, hoping he would solidify himself as the closer.
The two-time All-Star helped the Houston Astros win the World Series by pitching 11 shutout innings during the 2022 postseason.
After an accomplished career with the Astros, Pressly was off to a decent start with the Cubs until a disastrous outing on May 6, when he gave up nine runs without recording an out against the San Francisco Giants.
He got knocked around so badly that he lost his role as the closer. While Pressly has pitched 12 shutout innings since that disastrous showing against the Giants, it might make sense for the Cubs to acquire a new closer and keep Pressly as a set-up man, where he’s been flourishing.
With the trade deadline in the not-too-distant future, Newsweek listed three realistic trade targets for the Cubs, and Aroldis Chapman was one of them.
Last time the Cubs traded for Chapman, they won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.
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That’s not to say bringing Chapman back would guarantee the same result, but the Cubs are going all in this year like they did in 2016, and adding a flamethrower like Chapman would give Chicago one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The seven-time All-Star has been stellar with the Boston Red Sox this season, sporting a 1.65 ERA with 11 saves and 37 strikeouts in just 27.1 innings.
Despite being 37 years old, Chapman still has a rocket for an arm. His average fastball velocity is 99.1 mph, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all pitchers.
At 33-36 and nine games out in their division, the Red Sox could be sellers at the deadline, and Chapman would be a prime candidate to get dealt since he’s on an expiring contract.
If the Cubs made a move for Chapman, they would not only be getting one of the best closers in baseball, they would also add a lefty arm to a bullpen full of righties. This would allow the Cubs to switch between Pressly and Chapman in late-game situations based on platoon matchups.
Trading for Chapman at the deadline worked wonders in the past, so the Cubs should try to reunite with Chapman if they want to repeat the success they had nine years ago.
More MLB: Cubs trade idea lands them former Cy Young Award winner for postseason push