Chicago Cubs: 3 must-have bullpen arms at trade deadline

Daniel Norris

Another strong option for the Cubs to consider to bolster their bullpen is lefty Daniel Norris.

Norris originally debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 but was dealt to the Detroit Tigers as part of a package for David Price a year later. His time in Detroit has been marred with injuries, and he’s had an up-and-down career as a result.

Despite the injuries and overall disappointing results from Norris, the Tigers have kept him in the rotation for most of his career – he’s started 77 of the 93 appearances he’s made for Detroit – but this year has been different.

So far in 2020, Norris has pitched almost entirely in relief. He started his very first game of the season, but since then has been coming out of the bullpen, and he’s had strong results.

In 15 innings spread out over six appearances so far, Norris has pitched to 2.40 ERA and an even better 2.16 FIP.

Those numbers are coming from a small sample size, but they’d easily be the best of Norris’ career. The marked improvement appears to be due to an increase in command. From 2014-2018, Norris had an 8.8 percent career walk rate. That number fell to 6.2 percent last year, and so far in 2020, it’s down to just 5 percent.

Norris could be a big addition to a Cubs ‘pen sorely lacking in left-handed pitchers. His ability to start games is the cherry on top, especially in a season featuring consistent double-headers.

An extra bonus: if the Cubs were to trade for Norris, he’d enter his final year of arbitration next season, meaning he’d be around to help fill the pitching holes in a roster with many question marks entering 2021.