CUBS AGREE TO DEAL WITH EX- RED SOX CLOSER UEHARA
Cubs agree to deal with ex- Red Sox closer Uehara, still seek pitching beyond 2017 Fowler agrees to terms with Cardinals
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The bender is officially over.
Actually, Cubs president Theo Epstein said it ended almost a week ago, a month after the Cubs’ wild World Series championship.
‘‘ Pulled that one off pretty good,’’ a laughing Epstein said of his self- proclaimed bender.
His next trick is to keep the parties coming at Wrigley Field beyond 2017.
The Cubs’ intense focus on pitching included reports Thursday of another free- agent agreement: a one- year, $ 4.5 million contract with former Red Sox reliever Koji Uehara, a right- hander with exceptional numbers against lefthanded hitters.
Uehara, 41, was the Red Sox’ closer in 2013- 15 and helped them win the World Series in 2013. He would be the fourth reliever the Cubs acquired in two weeks, including Class AA lefty Caleb Smith from the Brewers for cash after the Rule 5 draft Thursday.
But their trade Wednesday with the Royals for closer Wade Davis underscored that one of the biggest reasons the Cubs were able to turn a competitive corner so quickly the last two seasons is the same reason it might be more challenging to sustain a year from now.
‘‘ We knew this day was coming,’’ Epstein said after the Cubs traded one of their original core prospects, young slugger Jorge Soler, to get Davis. ‘‘ One of the reasons we’ve invested heavily in position players in the draft and international markets and trades we’ve made is because they’re good bets to return value.’’
Anthony Rizzo was acquired in a trade as a minor- leaguer five years ago. Addison Russell was acquired in a deal 2 ½ years ago. Kris Bryant was drafted No. 2 overall, Kyle Schwarber No. 4 overall and Albert Almora Jr. No. 6 overall.
Only one is older than 24 ( Rizzo is 27), and that young core already has a combined six All- Star appearances, a National League Most Valuable Player award, 18 postseason home runs and more postseason victories in two sea- sons ( 15) than the Cubs had in the previous 87 years combined ( 14).
The impact has been as powerful as it was sudden. And because the pitching in the farm system has lagged, the front office has spent and maneuvered to support the core with competitive arms.
And if the end of his bender wasn’t sobering enough, Epstein needs only to glance at the short list of championship- caliber pitchers he has under club control past 2017.
‘‘ We’ve identified a core of guys we really believe in, who have gotten here and helped us win a cham- pionship already,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘ And those are going to be guys who are really hard to move. And we feel like some of our prospects have a chance to join that core, but other ones we’re going to end up trading. That was part of the plan all along.’’
Top prospect Gleyber Torres was traded to the Yankees in July for closer Aroldis Chapman, without whom the Cubs wouldn’t have won the World Series. Then the once- heralded Soler was sent to the Royals.
Next? Consider that Davis, 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and three- time World Series champion John Lackey all will be eligible for free agency after the 2017 season, at which time three- time World Series champion Jon Lester will hit the back side of his six- year deal.
Is 2015 first- round draft pick Ian Happ on deck for the next trade for pitching? Outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez? If not, how much will it cost the Cubs in free- agent contracts a year from now?
Suddenly, it becomes clearer why the Cubs seem to be spending with such care this time around.
‘‘ You can’t necessarily develop all your position players and all your pitching both homegrown,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘ I’m not saying it’s on the immediate horizon, but over the next couple of years, we’ll certainly make more trades where we say goodbye to some position players who are hard to part with but bring us the pitching we need.’’