Craig Kimbrel, who has a first-round compensation pick still attached to his name, will be free of that variable as soon as the annual Major League Baseball Draft concludes on June 5, and a number of teams are likely to reinvigorate contract talks with the former Red Sox closer. Make no mistake: the Chicago Cubs need to be among the interested suitors.
Not only has the team struggled to find a reliable closing option (just 11 for 22 in converting save opportunities, according to MLB.com), but Pedro Strop‘s persistent hamstring issues are a bit of a question mark even as he draws closer to a return, and Brandon Morrow‘s timeline for return is still totally unclear.