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Chicago Cubs provided great moments to fans in 2016

By Carlos Nazario

Sep 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is doused with beer in the locker room after the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs clinched the National League Central Division championship. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is doused with beer in the locker room after the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs clinched the National League Central Division championship. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Cubs trade for Aroldis Chapman ahead of the trade deadline

The Chicago Cubs offense is great. Their defense is great. Their pitching rotation is great. And their bench is great.

The only area that was a little suspect was their bullpen. They had some trouble with middle relief pitchers, and Hector Rondon at the closer’s spot was iffy.

Yes, Rondon had a terrific 2015 campaign, where he was 6-4 with a 1.67 ERA and 30 saves and a 1.00 WHIP to go along with an ERA+ of 228. After a solid start this season, however, he was too inconsistent.

After starting out the season with 11 consecutive saves, Rondon blew four save attempts out of his next six. That forced Epstein to make a move.

That move ended up acquiring  Chapman on July 25th.

Chapman was with the New York Yankees, and since they were mired in a difficult season (at that time), they were looking to unload players.

Chapman is a lefty who throws a fastball consistently over 100 miles per hour.

Once Chapman came over to Chicago, he was dominant. In 28 games with the Cubs, he posted a 1-1 record, a 1.01 ERA, with 16 saves in 18 opportunities. He had a WHIP of 0.82 and a 401 ERA+. He also had a strikeout ratio of 15.5 per nine innings.

Having Chapman moved Rondon to the setup man with Pedro Strop. The Cubs now have three relievers who have closing experience. Maddon can get good six innings from their starters (something they did regularly during the season) and have Rondon, Strop and Chapman each throw a shutout inning to preserve the win.

Maddon can even use Chapman for two innings, something he does regularly and enjoys doing.

The Chapman trade solidified the Cubs bullpen. The need of having middle relievers throw extended innings is at a minimum. What was previously a concern is now a strength, giving the franchise its most complete team in ages.

Theo Epstein did everything he had to do to bring a title to Wrigley Field. Expectations are high, and they should be that way. The Chicago Cubs showed they were the best team in baseball during the regular season.

Next: Jon Lester: Kyle Hendricks is NL Cy Young

All that will go for not if they cannot do it when it really matters, however. Finishing the season without a World Series win will destroy all the magic created in the past six months.

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