Inside The Cubs

Could Chicago Cubs Target Exciting Young Reliever in Trade?

The Chicago Cubs should look to improve their bullpen if they expect to compete.

Dylan Sanders

Apr 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech (34) follows
Apr 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech (34) follows / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite the Chicago Cubs being one of baseball's best teams to start 2024, there are still some spots on the roster that could use some work.

The Chicago bullpen is currently ranked bottom 10 in the league in pretty much every important categories. They desperately need more arms. They may be able to find one within their own city.

The Chicago White Sox are expected to trade away their top pieces, which include reliever Michael Kopech.

If that name sounds more familiar to you as a starter, you’d be correct. He was a starting pitcher for the first four years of his career, but has now moved into the bullpen and is looking more valuable than ever before.

With his new role, he has pumped up his fastball an average of 3.7 MPH, making great use of the smaller workload.

Through the first 16 outings of the season, the 28-year-old has a 3.93 ERA which doesn’t tell the whole story. The advanced stats show that he has been a victim of poor defense, which tracks as Chicago has one of the worst in the league.

His xERA and xBA are both above average. HIs xBA of .176 is one of the best in the league. He should be one of the most inquired about relievers on the market and for good reason.

The Texas native is young and is under team control through next season. The White Sox desperately need more bats in their farm system, so expect to say goodbye to at least a top 10 non-pitching prospect.

The Cubs are tied for second place in blown saves with eight this season. Kopech provides another option as Adbert Alzolay failed and Hector Neris has a scary 1.71 WHIP.

Even if it's not as a closer, Kopech would immediately be one of the more promising arms in the bullpen.

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Dylan Sanders

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders