The Chicago Cubs made one move on Friday to add to their starting rotation, and just before the 3 p.m. trade deadline they helped their bullpen as they acquired Tommy Hunter from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Junior Lake.
Hunter, who started his career with the Texas Rangers before joining the Orioles in 2011, has appeared in 39 games for Baltimore this season. He currently is sporting a 3.63 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings. All of those numbers are steps back from his performance in the 2014 season where he saved 11 games as a part-time closer for the Orioles.
As for Lake, he was squeezed out of the starting outfield for the Cubs with the ascension of Jorge Soler and the arrival of Dexter Fowler, and he never quite found his way back into the mix. He did appear in 21 games for the Cubs in 2015 with a home run and five RBI, and despite playing better in the minor leagues recently, he didn’t figure to be a part of the organization’s long-term plan.
With Hunter, the Cubs are looking for a bullpen arm to help them out in late inning situations. Rafael Soriano has struggled since joining the Cubs via free agency, and Jason Motte has hit a bit of a rough patch after a good start to the season for Chicago. Hunter isn’t going to be expected to close games or even to pitch in the eighth inning (that will likely remain Motte or Pedro Strop’s job), but he could still appear in key situations down the stretch for the team.
