Chicago Cubs: With Justin Wilson, Cubs’ bullpen goes from good to elite

The Chicago Cubs already had a strong mix of arms in the bullpen. Now that they have added left-hander Justin Wilson, their bullpen is elite.

After acquiring Jose Quintana earlier this month, the Chicago Cubs entered the July 31st MLB trade deadline with two, maybe three very specific needs. They wanted to add a veteran backup catcher to take some pressure off of Willson Contreras and a significant bullpen arm. The Cubs still appear to be in the market for a controllable starting pitcher, but that is not as necessary after already trading for Quintana.

Well, on Sunday night, the Cubs agreed to a trade with the Detroit Tigers that filled their two most primary needs. Sending prospects Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes to the Tigers, the Cubs acquired left-handed relief ace Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila. Avila will undoubtedly help keep Contreras fresh, which will be incredibly important down the stretch. However, Wilson is the big-ticket item here.

Wilson has been dominant for the Tigers this season, posting a 2.68 ERA in 42 relief appearances. He is also striking out an incredible 35% of the batters he has faced (FanGraphs). Wilson showcases a high-90s fastball and a devastating hard cutter that allows him to compete against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. He uses a slider to keep hitters honest, but it is an inconsistent pitch that he does not throw much.

Simply put, Wilson has grown into one of the best left-handed relief pitchers in the game and will undoubtedly be an important piece for the Cubs down the stretch. Expect Wilson to immediately take on a large late-inning role for the team.

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Adding Wilson to the mix is great, but the Cubs’ bullpen was already strong. Wade Davis is the only closer in the MLB not to have blown a save yet this season. Carl Edwards Jr. has a 2.51 ERA and a 37.1% strikeout rate, according to FanGraphs. Davis and Edwards already formed a dominant duo on the backend of the Cubs’ pen. Now, they get to add Wilson to that mix. Those three are going to be significant weapons for Joe Maddon in the post season.

This also helps take pressure off of guys like Koji Uehara, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon. All three of these relievers have been nearly unhittable at times this season, but each is inconsistent. Having them in middle relief roles instantly makes them more valuable to the team. When it matters most, the Cubs will have Edwards, Wilson and Davis to go to. Uehara, Strop and Rondon will primarily fill in the rest.

Brian Duensing will continue to be an effective lefty specialist, while Mike Montgomery will be the long man who can fill in for middle relief situations when needed.

Basically, the Chicago Cubs just replaced Justin Grimm with Justin Wilson. The new Justin is a dominant late-inning reliever while the old Justin was the last man in the ‘pen, primarily working in mop up roles. To say that this is an upgrade would be a massive understatement.

Next: Breaking down Cubs' trade with Tigers

While they have underperformed, the Chicago Cubs have a loaded group of position players who can make an impact both offensively and defensively. After adding Quintana, they also have a strong mix of pitchers in the starting rotation. Now, the Cubs have an elite bullpen.

I know that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals are tough, but do not count out the Cubs when it gets to October. Theo Epstein and company have once again done an incredible job of putting this roster together. They do not have any obvious weaknesses and appear primed for a deep post season run.