The Chicago Cubs are leaving the All-Star break with a one-game lead in the NL Central in hand, with a clear and obvious need for pitching reinforcements at the trade deadline.
With that deadline just two weeks away, the Cubs will obviously be in the market for both starting pitchers and relievers. But, whereas the rotation has blatant gaps at the top (next to Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd) and bottom (while waiting out injuries to Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad), the bullpen's situation is a bit more murky.
Daniel Palencia has emerged as the no-doubt closer, and he's getting rather impressive support from the team's cache of middle relievers, including Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Drew Pomeranz, and Chris Flexen.