The Chicago Cubs have made moves to bolster their offense and starting pitching staff this off-season, but with a month to go before pitchers and catchers report they don’t have a player who stands out as their closer. With around $40 million to spend before reaching the competitive balance threshold, reports out of Cubs Convention have confirmed that they are looking into all closer/relief options. Of the free agent group remaining, they have reportedly emerged as a top contender to sign a closer who had a stellar 1.75 ERA last year.
Who are the available free agent closers?
Free agents Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Kyle Finnegan, and Kenley Jansen are still available. Jose Leclerc recently signed a one year, $10 million deal with the Oakland Athletics, taking him off the table. Of this group, Scott is in line to receive the biggest payday as he posted a 1.75 ERA last year between the Marlins and Padres while collecting a career high 22 saves.
The Chicago Cubs reportedly are a top contender for Tanner Scott
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Scott has multiple multi-year offers on the table, with the Cubs remaining one of the top suitors. Contract projections for the left-hander have varied this offseason, but a four-year deal has frequently been discussed. Tim Britton of The Athletic predicted a four-year, $64 million contract, while Sean McAdam reported that Scott is seeking a deal closer to $80 million.
Signing Tanner Scott would be out of the ordinary for Jed Hoyer
Throughout Jed Hoyer’s tenure as Cubs president of baseball operations, he has been hesitant to allocate significant funds to relief pitchers. It has been over five years since the team signed a free agent bullpen arm to a multi-year contract or a deal exceeding $9 million. Scott would certainly surpass that threshold, but with Hoyer entering a contract year and the Cubs facing a clear need for a reliable back-end bullpen arm, this may finally be the year they invest in that position.
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