At 36-22, the Chicago Cubs currently possess the best record in the National League. Chicago has seemingly turned a corner after not making the playoffs since 2020 and not winning a playoff series since 2017. The biggest reason for their success has been the contributions from the offense, which is one of the best units in the league.
But for as good as their bats have been, their bullpen has been just as suspect.
With a clear need at the deadline, Cubs president of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer will have his work cut out for him.
One trade proposal, made by Jackson Roberts of the Sporting News, suggests Chicago could target Colorado Rockies reliever Jake Bird
“While he gives up a few too many walks for comfort and a bit too much hard contact, his expected ERA, batting average against, strikeout percentage, and barrel rate rank above the 80th percentile of all major leaguers,” said O’Rourke. “Career highs in whiffs and chase percentage further show how he’s improved in missing bats and coaxing bad decisions. He’s not going to blow anybody away with an average fastball around 94 mph, but he has all the hallmarks of a pitcher who has figured out how to effectively and reliably get outs with a few adjustments.”
A career resurgance for the veteran
The 29-year old Bird has been having a career year in Colorado, a notoriously difficult environment for pitchers. In 32 innings this season, he has pitched to a 1.67 ERA, a 1.206 WHIP and a 2.56 FIP. Just this season he has doubled his career bWAR from 1.4 to 2.9. The fourth year veteran has gone from a mid 4 ERA reliever, to a dominate arm out of the bullpen. Additionally he has not allowed a single run in his last five appearances. That is notable given that those outings came against the Cubs, Yankees and Phillies, some of the best offenses in the game.
Some of Birds advanced analytics, such as his 2.95 xERA, suggest he is getting somewhat lucky. But he has still been dominant. His K rate (29.3%), Barrel Rate (5.1%), and Whiff Rate (27.7%) are all way above league average.
While their progress has been encouraging, the Cubs bullpen can hardly be considered a strength for Chicago. Not yet at least. With the rise of pitchers such as Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz the Cubs are less desperate then they were a month ago. But this should not, and likely will not, stop them from acquiring additional reinforcements at the deadline. Not if they plan to be serious contenders this season.
Its hard to imagine the 9-49 Rockies will hold on to Bird at the deadline. As a team currently on pace to have the worst season ever, they need to salvage anything they can from this nightmare season. The Cubs, and their pool of prospects, could provide a slight silver lining. This deal makes sense for both sides and would allow Bird a change of scenary. He will likely enjoy the pitching enviroment of a windy Wrigley field much more than Coors Field.