Chicago Cubs: 5 pitchers to monitor on trade block
By Ryan Heckman
Kirby Yates
Right-Handed Reliever
San Diego Padres
ERA: 1.07
WHIP: .81
IP: 42.0
K: 67
BB: 9
Kirby Yates is more of a likely target for the Cubs than any starter, although I wouldn’t put anything past Theo Epstein and the Cubs’ brass. Yates is one of the better relievers in all of the Majors and would be an excellent addition to the bullpen.
Just looking at the raw numbers, they are all incredibly impressive. With the San Diego Padres currently five games under .500, there is certainly no reason for them to completely lose hope just yet. The NL Central is close and the Padres are one of eight teams in the National League to be under the .500 mark, so whether or not they choose to sell (and sell hard) remains to be seen.
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Per CBS Sports’ research, Yates’ mastering of the splitter this year is one of the biggest reasons for his success. He’s only allowed five extra-base hits off that pitch in the last two seasons — over 600 splitters thrown.
If the Cubs were to go after a guy like Yates, my guess is they’d end up dealing someone like Ian Happ along with another prospect or two. What Yates has been able to do this year is very impressive, and he would look great in Cubs blue.