Chicago Cubs steal Brandon Kintzler in puzzling trade

The Chicago Cubs acquired former All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler from the Nationals on Tuesday afternoon. How did Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer pull it off?

Although the Chicago Cubs only made one trade on Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer managed to bolster their bullpen in a big way. Brandon Kintzler, just acquired by the Nationals on last year’s trade deadline, has been traded once again, this time to the North side of Chicago.

In Kintzler, the Cubs are getting a former All-Star closer, which speaks for itself. He has not performed at an All-Star level this season, but he is still an extremely valuable reliever. He has pitched to a 3.59 ERA in 45 appearances, including a 2.03 ERA in July.

Kintzler’s role in Chicago remains to be seen, but he is capable of pitching whenever Joe Maddon calls his name. He closed in Minnesota and setup in Washington, excelling in both roles. With Cubs closer Brandon Morrow currently on the disabled list, Kintzler could theoretically step into the closer’s role until Morrow returns and then return to his role as a setup man.

Regardless of Kintzler’s role, he gives the Cubs another late-inning weapon, which could be the difference in October.

Bullpens have proven to be an invaluable aspect of the postseason. Now, the Cubs have made their bullpen that much deeper. Kintzler may not be closing out game seven, but he can get some big outs in the late innings.

To make Kintzler even more valuable, he is signed to a team-friendly contract. In today’s game, when late-inning relievers are being paid as much as $20 million a year, Kintzler is relatively affordable at $5 million. With the season already past the halfway mark, the Cubs will only have to pay a fraction of that.

Obviously, the Cubs had to give something up in order to acquire Kintzler. This is where the trade gets puzzling. All the Nats got in return is Jhon Romero, a 23-year-old reliever in High-A. He has put up good numbers and appears to have some upside, but you would think the Nats could get more for a controllable reliever of Kintzler’s caliber.

So why would the Nats part with such a valuable reliever, especially for such a marginal prospect? They would not make the postseason if the season ended today, but they decided not to sell.

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On Monday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports published an article with an anonymous source close to the Nats claiming the clubhouse was a mess. Although the Nats have not confirmed it, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post has reported that the Nats traded Kintzler because they believed he was the source.

All of a sudden, the trade makes a lot more sense. The Nats would not typically trade a controllable and reliable late-inning reliever in the middle of a pennant race, but these circumstances make it understandable. The Nats likely could have handled the matter in-house and kept Kintzler, but they felt it was necessary to make a move.

Regardless of what went into the Nats dealing Brandon Kintzler, the Cubs are now reaping the benefits. Controllable late-inning relievers do not become available often, and the Chicago Cubs did an excellent job of jumping on the opportunity.