The Chicago Cubs have been linked to both Justin Verlander, and Sonny Gray. How could another pitcher possibly hurt, right? Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has linked the Cubs to a move for Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton. A source told Feinsand that if Chicago has the chance to acquire Britton, Cubs president Theo Epstein will do it.
Scary bullpen if deal happens
The Cubs dealt their No. 2 overall prospect at the time for Aroldis Chapman. This move panned to be a critical move for the Cubs as Chapman was the bullpen workhorse that helped lead the Cubs to a World Series title.
Britton could be the 2017 version of Chapman for the Cubs. Britton has battled injuries this season, but has pitched to five saves in 13 games with a 1.93 Earned Run Average. Britton is just a year away from finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting, when he went a perfect 47 for 47 in save opportunities with a 0.54 earned run average.
If the Cubs were to acquire Britton, the Cubs could have one of the most lethal bullpens down the stretch of games. The Cubs could throw Carl Edwards Jr. in the seventh inning, Wade Davis in the eighth inning, and Britton to close it out in the ninth.
Edwards Jr. has a 2.17 earned run average while Davis is the team's closer. Davis has a 1.74 earned run average with 17 saves.
Not to mention, the Cubs have Pedro Strop, who has a 2.94 earned run average and Koji Uehara, who has a 3.23 earned run average.
The Cubs have had problems with their starters going deep into ball games. Britton's presence in the bullpen would be huge. The Cubs could get rid of Justin Grimm, who has an earned run average over five.
If their starters can't go deep into games, then the team would have an abundance of arms to go to.
Depends on what Orioles want
The Cubs dealt their best prospect last year. They dealt their best prospect in Eloy Jimenez and their best pitching prospect in Dylan Cease. The Cubs do not have a single player in the top 100 prospects list.
The Cubs best prospect is Jeimer Candelario, who primarily plays third base, and the Orioles already have a third baseman in superstar Manny Machado.
The Cubs would have to give up a player on the major league roster. Albert Almora Jr. makes the most sense. Ian Happ has been playing in center field, and the Cubs are not going to give up Kyle Schwarber or Jason Heyward. The Orioles have been rumored to want to give up outfielder Seth Smith. The 34 year old doesn't fit the mold of younger and athletic, while Almora is just 23 years old.
