MLB Writer Links Cubs To Trade For Surging Pitcher To Bolster Bullpen

The Chicago Cubs have made a handful of very aggressive moves this year, including trades for Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly.

Pressly has been a big piece of the Cubs’ bullpen, but Chicago needs to add more high-leverage arms ahead of the trade deadline or it’ll be left behind by powerhouses like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.

At this point, Chicago is going to need to turn to the trade market to add the level of pitchers needed to win the World Series.

FanSided’s Christopher Kline recently suggested the Cubs could turn to the Colorado Rockies to swing a trade for their reliever Jake Bird.

“It has been a dismal season in Denver, but if there’s one true bright spot of this Colorado Rockies season, it’s Jake Bird,” Kline wrote. “The 29-year-old has shown that he can miss bats and provide genuine length out of the bullpen, with a 2.16 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 41 2/3 innings of work in 32 appearances.

“Colorado should be ready to sell the farm, or whatever’s left of it. Bird has a few years left on his deal, so Chicago can invest in multiple years of quality production, whether he’s sliding into Pressly’s late-relief slot or giving the Cubs multiple innings of quality work in the middle portion of a game.”

Bird has been spectacular this season despite playing in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. The righty holds around a 2.00 ERA while limiting hard contact and generating a lot of swings and misses.

He would be a very welcome piece of the Cubs’ bullpen. Chicago has put itself in a good spot by swinging aggressive trades this year. Adding Bird would be another step in the right direction for Craig Counsell’s club.

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