As the Chicago Cubs look to separate themselves from the pack in the National League Central this summer, their own bullpen might stand in their way.
Cubs relievers rank 17th in fWAR this season at a modest 1.2. They’ve blown eight of their 22 combined save opportunities, but fortunately, the offense has often given them leads big enough that they don’t have to worry about coughing up games.
At some point, the Cubs will want at least one more high-leverage reliever. They’ll wait until closer to the Jul. 31 trade deadline to find one, but it’s not too early to start thinking about possible acquisitions.
To that end, one baseball writer believes they could land one of the most electrifying closers in the game–at least when he’s at full strength.
On Thursday, Zach Pressnell of FanSided named Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista as a possible trade target for the Cubs to upgrade their middling bullpen this summer.
“Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista hasn’t been quite as dominant this season as he was before his operation, but he’s still shown flashes of his old excellence,” Pressnell wrote.
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“He holds a 3.78 ERA with eight saves in nine attempts. He’s been elite nearly across the board except for his horrendous walk rate, which has come back to haunt him a few times. If he can lower his walk rate to the 10-12 percent range again, the righty could be a dominant closer for the Cubs until 2028.”
Bautista missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, so you have to go back to 2023 to witness his true dominance. He struck out 110 batters in only 61 innings that year, posting a 1.48 ERA and making his first and only All-Star team.
The Orioles are under no strict pressure to trade Bautista, even though their season has gone south. But with one of the strongest farm systems in baseball, the Cubs might be able to pry him loose by sending some young pitching talent to Baltimore.
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