Cubs urged to trade for 38-save All-Star to replace Ryan Pressly as closer

As the Chicago Cubs look to establish themselves as the dominant team in the National League Central, there's an obvious roadblock impeding them.

So far this season, the Cubs' bullpen ranks 24th in ERA (4.68) and has converted only 10 of 17 save opportunities. It was a major issue for this Chicago team last season, and it doesn't seem as if the problem has gotten much better.

The Cubs traded for former Houston Astros All-Star closer Ryan Pressly to try and mitigate some of their bullpen problems. But after a mediocre 2024 season in Houston, Pressly has had a wacky year, getting off to a decent start before posting one of the worst relief outings in recent memory.

Though his 7.07 ERA is deceptive, because he's four-for-four in save opportunities, the 36-year-old Pressly might not be the closer for the rest of the season. But it doesn't look as though the Cubs have many exciting options in-house, either.

To that end, Cubs on SI writer Brad Wakai suggested Tuesday that the Cubs could trade for Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, who totaled 38 saves and made his first career All-Star team in 2024.

"The trick would be to figure out if Finnegan can be the dominant force in the second half of the year that he's been during the first," Wakai wrote. "Chicago would have to put together a plan to make sure he'd be at his best when they need him most.

Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp

"Adding the current Washington Nationals shutdown man would allow them to move Ryan Pressly into some sort of set up or high-leverage relief role with Porter Hodge being another option in those environments."

Finnegan, 33, is once again racking up saves, with 12 in his first 14 opportunities this year. He's got a 3.07 ERA, but his 1.43 WHIP is a bit higher than you might like to see from a closer at the major league level.

If the Cubs are in a bind, Finnegan could certainly make sense as a deadline addition. Expecting him to be a lockdown closer for a playoff team, though, might not end well.

More MLB: Phillies are 'tremendous fit' for $8.7 million Orioles trade chip, per insider