Cubs acquire Travis Lakins from the Red Sox

Travis Lakins (Google Images)

The Chicago Cubs made their latest effort to improve their bullpen on Monday when they acquired Travis Lakins of Franklin, Ohio from the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later and cash. Lakins only has one season under his belt in Major League Baseball, but there were some impressive signs with Boston in 2019.

In 23 1/3 innings, Lakins had a record of zero wins and one loss with an earned run average of 3.86. That is definitely a respectable earned run average for a pitcher in his rookie season, and pitching in the offensive-friendly Fenway Park in Boston. In 16 games, Lakins gave up 23 hits, 10 earned runs, 10 walks and had 18 strikeouts.

One area of concern for Chicago could be Lakins’s high WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.41. Even though the WHIP would be high for the Cubs liking, the fact he was able to keep his ERA under four, could be considered very positive.

Lakins becomes the second relief pitcher the Cubs have acquired in the last five days. On Friday, Chicago picked up Casey Sadler of Stillwater, Oklahoma from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor leaguer. Sadler was 4-0 with an earned run average of 2.14 with the Dodgers in 2019.

Lakins and Sadler now join a Cubs bullpen that includes closer Craig Kimbrel of Huntsville, Alabama, and relievers Kyle Ryan of Auburndale, Florida, Rowan Wick of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Dan Winkler of Effingham, Illinois, Ryan Tepera of Houston, Texas, James Norwood of New York, New York, Alec Mills of Clarksville, Tennessee and Tyler Chatwood of Redlands, California. The Cubs were six games above .500 with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses in 2019.