Who needs a top-three closer in baseball when you already have one?
According to the Chicago White Sox and general manager Rick Hahn, his team does.
Despite Liam Hendriks already dominating, the White Sox have struck a deal to acquire Craig Kimbrel from their crosstown nemesis, the Cubs. In return, the Cubs acquired second baseman Nick Madrigal and right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer.
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This is the last Chicago-Chicago baseball trade since the White Sox added Ryan Tepera … yesterday.
Kimbrel has been an elite closer over his career. While he struggled in 2019 and 2020—his first two seasons in Chicago—this year has made all of those difficult outings worth it.
Kimbrel has allowed just two earned runs all season, giving him an ERA of 0.49. Over the course of 36.2 innings, he has a whopping 64 strikeouts with just 13 hits allowed. His .137 xBA and 46.7 percent strikeout rate are absolutely video game numbers. Combine that with Hendriks (2.58 ERA, 41 percent strikeout rate) and young flamethrower Michael Kopech (1.52 ERA, 36.4 percent strikeout rate) and the White Sox have the best back-end in all of baseball. Kimbrel is also on the books for next season, so this is not a total rental situation.
An Epic Return
The White Sox received a young star from the Cubs in Eloy Jimenez a few years ago and now the White Sox will return the favor.
Selected fourth overall in 2018, Madrigal is ripped right out of the 1910s. He is a pure contact hitter with an above-average glove and speed. In 83 career MLB games, he has a .317 average and .764 OPS. Plus, Madrigal has a strikeout rate under eight percent this year, which you never see anymore. The Cubs will have to wait for his team debut; Madrigal has a torn hamstring and will not be healthy until 2022.
Heuer is also a good addition. He had a 1.52 ERA in 21 outings as a rookie last year. He has struggled this season but still has a 3.67 FIP and 39 strikeouts over 38.2 innings.
This is an amazing package for the Cubs.
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