It’s been no secret to the Yankees — or Major League Baseball — that the Chicago Cubs have already expressed strong interest in relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.
But with a handful of teams in need of a back-end closer, such as the Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers, there hasn’t been talks of the lefty tandem being dealt in a package deal.
Until now.
According to Phil Rogers of MLB.com, the Cubs’ attraction to both Miller and Chapman is vastly understated, and Chicago’s desire to acquire both arms will be explored, per Rogers’ story:
Yes, Miller and Chapman in the same deal. I’d guarantee you that the Cubs will at least explore that, assuming the Yankees get to the point where they are willing to make them available.
Have the Cubs reached a state of desperation? Well, perhaps they have. In taking both arms from New York, Chicago isn’t necessarily laying out the groundwork of a dynasty. Cubs general manager Theo Epstein is motivated to win now, and erase the wretched 108-year-old championship drought on the Northside.
Rogers goes on to explain Epstein’s history with Miller, who the Boston Red Sox acquired in the 2010 offseason under Epstein’s regime, and Chapman, who will only be a mid-season rental.
Epstein signed Miller for the Red Sox after the 2010 season, when Miller was foundering. He’d love a reunion both for what Miller could do this October and how he’d set up the Cubs’ bullpen for the next two seasons. Chapman is the definition of a shutdown reliever. He brings baggage that some teams might want to avoid but has served his suspension.
While the Cubs’ wants are evident, the Yankees’ perspective will become tremendously different, as a king’s ransom would suffice in this type of blockbuster trade. But of the latest rumors, Chicago hasn’t made catcher Kyle Schwarber available, and only recently has outfielder Jorge Soler’s name come into circulation. If Cashman elects to ship both Miller and Chapman together, placing the ‘off limits’ tag on any player will be disabled.
But the next six weeks will determine New York’s willingness to part ways with assets, especially if the possibilities are unbounded.
