The Chicago Cubs are coming off some big wins after a .500 June and concerns over their diminishing lead in the NL Central Division.
This recent run of victories has put more space between them and the divisional rival tandem of the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, but no lead can be deemed completely secure in early July with tons more baseball to be played. Plus, for all the magic this team has produced, there are still some pressing needs that must be dressed.
The first and foremost need is pitching. And while it’s safe to assume that starting pitching, specifically, is on the minds of the Cubs front office, there also needs to be some thought given to the back-end of games.
Fortifying the Chicago Cubs bullpen by the deadline
Daniel Palencia has been a breakthrough asset this season and a true inspirational story. The 25-year-old fought his way into the Cubs’ closer role and has excelled, but it would probably be wise not to leave all of that burden on his young shoulders.
That’s why president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer might opt to revisit the trade deadline plan of the 2016 World Series Cubs and pick up a more established closer for the postseason push. And some are talking up the possibility of, literally, revisiting the 2016 plan by acquiring the exact same closer they acquired in 2016.
The return of Aroldis Chapman?
The 37-year-old Aroldis Chapman is throwing nearly as hard as ever and having a stellar 2025 for the Boston Red Sox, with 15 saves and a 1.29 ERA in 38 appearances.
Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib appears to be one of those who believes the thought of bringing Chapman back to the Cubs is an idea worth exploring.
Per Campbell:
“For as great as Palencia has been this season, it needs to be said that this is the first time he is closing games at the Major League level. With a Cubs team trying to go from being a clear division leader to a World Series contender, that is an area they may look to upgrade before the deadline. That desire could lead them to a reunion with Chapman.
Now with the Boston Red Sox, it would seem that Chapman is likely to be moved at the deadline if the Red Sox choose to become sellers. After polling executives, Jim Bowden of The Athletic has Chapman as the reliever who is certain to be traded at the deadline.
Chapman has turned back the clock with his performance with the Red Sox this season, with a fastball that can still reach triple digits and an ERA under 1.50. The idea of the Cubs cementing the success of their bullpen with the addition of Chapman is one that likely can’t be fully counted out.”
But does it make sense?
But does it make sense for Chapman to be brought to Chicago with Palencia doing so well as the team’s closer, notching his own sub-2.00 ERA?
Well, back in 2016, the Cubs also had a closer heading into the trade deadline who was doing quite well. Hector Rondon had a 1.74 ERA with 14 saves in the first half of 2016. He also had two full seasons more of experience in the closer’s role than Palencia currently does.
The Cubs still went ahead and traded for Chapman, shipping off future All-Star Gleyber Torres as part of the deal. They knew then what they also know now– pitching depth is key in the postseason and having an established shutdown closer makes for an easier road to a championship.
This 2025 team has shown the same sparks of magic that the 2016 World Series team displayed. And if a Series win is a reasonable possibility– which it may be– then, they need to be all-in when it comes to picking up any and all pieces needed to make it happen.
“When you think about that deal, it wasn’t about playoff odds,” Hoyer recently told The Athletic. “That was about World Series probabilities. You add a dominant closer like that because there was a gap for us. We talked over and over throughout August and September about not using him for more than three-out saves because we wanted to be able to unleash his talent in the postseason to get to the World Series.”
At the very least, the idea of bringing Chapman back is a stone that shouldn’t go unturned.
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