Chicago Cubs: 3 trade deadline targets to bolster the bullpen
Tony Watson, LHP, San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants find themselves virtually eliminated from playoff contention at the All-Star break with just a 0.5% chance to make the playoffs, per Fangraphs. Their offense has been abysmal and their starting staff has been the worst in the league with 0.9 fWAR combined.
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However, there is a bright spot to this team that should serve them well this trade deadline season.. their relief pitching. Giants relievers have combined for 2.4 fWAR on the season (10th best in the MLB) and many of these pitchers will be valued trade targets.
The most talked about target thus far is closer, Will Smith. Smith is having a career year, already having racked up 22 saves and posting a 2.04 ERA/1.99 FIP with a career-high
13.5 K/9. With good production comes a high price tag, and Smith will command a large return despite being a rental acquisition.
The Cubs’ front office has made it a point that they are aiming to rebuild the farm system after making several depleting trades during the early years of the competitive window. In addition, Theo has hinted that in order to add a big name piece, the team needs to prove that they are only a few pieces away from elite status.
Enter — Tony Watson. The 34-year-old lefty has been the primary setup man for the Pirates and Giants during his career. He is under contract for the remainder of this season and has a player option remaining for the 2020 season ($2.5 million and a $500,000 buyout).
Watson’s acquisition price should not be near the level of Smith’s, due to his age and level of production. At 34-years-old, Watson has seen a significant dip in K% from 2018 (27.6%) to 2019 (17.9%). However, he remains an above average command pitcher, only walking 2.8% of the batters he has faced this year. The Cubs could desperately use a left-handed strike thrower, and Watson fits that mold exactly.
Watson’s underlying peripherals signal that he may be regressing, which is to be expected at his age. However, the Cubs would be acquiring him on a team friendly contract with virtually no obligation to him next season. For someone that would be relatively cheap to acquire and that would infuse a strike-throwing approach into the bullpen, acquiring Watson is a no-brainer.