The Best Acquisitions the Cubs Will Make
Via Fansided and Cubbies Crib
The Chicago Cubs surprised the baseball world when they pulled off a deal with the Chicago White Sox for Jose Quintana. Outside of the Anthony Rizzo or Jake Arrieta trade, it could be the best deal Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have made here.
While there might still be a trick up the Cubs sleeve, the best “trades” the Cubs have are already apart of this roster. I’m talking about the Cubs’ two Kyle’s, Hendricks and Schwarber.
Kyle Hendricks
The professor was a vital part of a Cubs rotation that owned a 2.96 ERA in 2016. His league leading 2.13 ERA of 2016 gave him a lot more visibility around the league, and his incredible performance in series clinching games in the NLCS and World Series cemented himself as a legit elite pitcher in baseball.
His performance in 2017 has been lackluster. A 4.09 ERA with a 1.200 WHIP just hasn’t gotten the job done. Some of the struggles could certainly be the World Series hangover, but, and for Cubs fans across the country, hopefully, it was mostly due to his hand injury.
The back of Kyle’s hand is what ailed him, and when he pitched there was a slight strain which very well could have affected his results. The pain was coming from behind his middle-finger, an important finger when it comes to creating movement on changeups as well as getting that real good rotation on his fastball. Without that extra push, balls are flatter and much easier to hit.
Signs are positive that Hendricks rest has helped. In his two rehab starts, he gave up a single run in 8 1/3 innings of work. His last of which was 5 innings of perfect baseball, retiring all 15 hitters he faced.
If Hendricks can regain his 2016 form, he would fit nicely in a rotation which, on paper, is a ton better than just a week and a half ago. The acquisition of Quintana, and the improved results of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, and Mike Montgomery. The expectation is Montgomery would return to the pen, opening a spot for Hendricks.
Kyle Schwarber
The trade for Jose Quintana didn’t just bolster the Cubs rotation, it gave Kyle Schwarber a shot of confidence. With many rumors out there that the Cubs were looking for a young, cost-controlled starter – most conversations started with Schwarber’s name. After struggling through much of the early season, the trip to Triple-A Iowa seems to of done Kyle some good.
After struggling through much of the early season, the trip to Triple-A Iowa seems to of done Kyle some good. He slashed very well in Iowa, .343/.447/.714, and belted 4 HR in the 11 games for the minor league club. That success continued in Chicago, where Kyle has an improved line of .238/.360/.619 with an OPS of .979. This is weighed down by a recent stretch in which he has a single hit in his last 14 plate appearances.
The expectation from many inside the Cubs organization is Kyle’s got his groove back. This is evidenced by a pair of opposite field home runs Kyle has hit since his return and a general approach of staying on balls longer. This has resulted in a lot better approaches at the plate and much-improved contact and hard contact rates.
Possibilities are endless
The Cubs have lacked two things through much of the first half of the season – consistent pitching and consistent offense. Both of these guys can provide that if they return to their potential.
Hendricks would give the Cubs another stopper. A guy that can go out there, give the team a Quality Start, and ensure the team is in the game regardless of how well the other team’s pitcher is performing. When a pitcher gives a team a QS, those teams end up winning the game nearly 70% of the time – that is huge.
If Schwarber is back, I mean truly back, he will play a huge role in extending the Cubs lineup – like we’ve seen since the break. When the Cubs are able to extend innings, score multiple runs, or even send five, six, or seven guys to the plate, it demoralizes the other team. Take the Cubs game against Atlanta this past weekend. The Braves had Julio Teheran going, and he was dealing through the first four innings. Going into the fourth he had 43 pitches and was carving up the Cubs offense. The Cubs flipped the switch in the fifth inning, forcing a 20 plus pitch inning while scoring two runs. The sixth inning, while not scoring a run, pushed Teheran again for another 20 plus pitches.
By extending at bats and extending innings, the Cubs were able to chase Julio after six innings, while only scoring two runs off of him. The Cubs would go on to score two more runs off of the Braves bullpen.
A good Schwarber gives the Cubs offense that ability, and a good Hendricks gives the Cubs a chance to shut down opposing offenses.
The Cubs very well may make another deal or two, but the biggest additions they will make are their two Kyle’s.
