The Cubs’ front office knew the team’s moves at the trade deadline were likely going to be subtle instead of splashy.
The shortened 2020 season has given many teams hope that they can still compete for a spot in the postseason with a month to go, and with that being the case, the Cubs hope subtle moves pay big dividends.
The Cubs supplemented their roster on Tuesday by acquiring left-handers Andrew Chafin and cash considerations from the D-Backs and Josh Osich from the Red Sox for players to be named later.
Chafin is 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA in 11 games this season, but owns a career 3.68 ERA in seven seasons in Arizona. Osich is 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA in 13 games this season and has held lefties to a .665 OPS in his career.
They rounded out their deadline moves by picking up veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Tigers in exchange for minor leaguer Zack Short.
“Left-handed relief and right-handed hitters that could hit left-handed pitching – those are two of the main goals we had for the deadline,” general manager Jed Hoyer said.
Sunday’s trade for designated hitter/first baseman Jose Martinez from the Rays and Monday’s move is a nice haul considering some of the team’s financial constrainsts. This year’s moves make an impact for the Cubs this season and in the future.
While Chafin and Maybin will be free agents at the end of the season, Martinez and Osich won’t hit the free-agent market until after the 2022 season.
“I think you’re always looking at yours to control,” Hoyer said. “I know certainly, the years I control are valuable, but I think we tried to be as targeted as we could in trying to address things that we haven’t done particularly well and I think we did that.”
Osich and Chaffin help bolster the Cubs’ bullpen as Kyle Ryan is the only left-hander in the bullpen. Chafin won’t pitch for the team immediately as he’s on the 10-day injured list with a left-finger sprain. Hoyer says Chafin is currently on a throwing program and thinks it will be a few weeks before he pitches. One of the reasons they received cash in the deal from Arizona.
Maybin and Martinez’s roles will be largely based on their ability to hit against lefties. The Cubs have had a deficiency against southpaws, slashing .208/.325/.333 against left-handed pitching this season. The Cubs hope a healthy Kris Bryant and Steven Souza Jr. also adds to an increase in production in that area.
Martinez has a career .319/.392/.554 slash line against southpaws. Maybin has been slightly better against right-handers in his career, but provides the Cubs with a quality at-bat of the bench.
“We’ve seen it time and time again with a lineup that I think in some ways we felt like should have been better equipped to handle lefties. We just haven’t,” Hoyer said. “I think maybe that is a good example of where the nature of the short season changes your thinking a little bit, because we don’t necessarily have time for those things to even out.
“We just haven’t hit lefties and it felt like teams were able to run left-handed pitching out against us without much fear. That’s something we certainly addressed. I think with Jose and Cam and then Souza and Kris coming off the IL, I think that’s something that maybe we can even turn from a weakness into a strength.”
The team’s deadline moves created a roster crunch, particularly in the outfield. With Bryant and Souza Jr. set to come off the IL as soon as Tuesday, it forced Albert Almora Jr. out of the picture.
Hoyer says the team will option Almora Jr. to alternate site South Bend. The Cubs also designated Hernan Perez and Ian Miller for assignment in corresponding moves.
“Albert hasn’t gotten consistent at-bats and I think as a result, it’s been a challenge for him to play sporadically and be able to produce,” Hoyer said. “We get a chance to send Albert to the alternate site and he can get a bunch of at-bats and hopefully get clicking because we haven’t seen what he can do this year in part because of the playing time he’s been given.”
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