The Chicago Cubs currently have a 3 1/2 game lead in the National League Central and have the third-best record in the Senior Circuit. A lot is going right for the North Siders.
However, there are areas of the club that could use some work, as is always the case with any contending team leading up to the trade deadline.
They acquired Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros last offseason hoping he could be their closer. However, Pressly has struggled, and the Cubs need some help.
Christopher Kline of FanSided listed Colorado Rockies reliever Jake Bird as a potential trade target.
Colorado should be ready to sell the farm, or whatever’s left of it. Bird has a few years left on his deal, so Chicago can invest in multuple years of quality production, whether he’s sliding into Pressly’s late-relief slot or giving the Cubs multiple innings of quality work in the middle portion of a game,” Kline wrote.
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Bird has been a revelation this season for the Rockies. While the team is a contender to break the Chicago White Sox record for the most losses in a single season, Bird has been a bright spot.
The 29-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 33 appearances. He also has a 2.1 WAR and is averaging 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Chicago, if they acquire him at the deadline, could potentially look to use him as a closer or at least in a high-leverage spot to replace the struggling Pressly.
The Cubs have stiff competition in the NL Central, and adding an extra high-leverage arm could potentially help them run away with the division and bury the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as the rest of the pack.
It will be interesting to see how the Cubs go about adding pitching at the deadline.
