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The Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday they placed closer Huston Street on the disabled list with inflammation in his right knee.

Continue for updates.

Street Avoids Serious Injury

Tuesday, Aug. 2 

The Angels announced Street’s MRI “showed inflammation” in his knee, but “no structural damage.” They noted the closer received a cortisone injection to decrease the inflammation.  

Knee Problems Add to Disappointing Year for Street

Street is coming off his worst appearance of the season. He allowed five earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched in a 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 31.

The 33-year-old is also having the worst season of his MLB career. According to FanGraphs, his 6.45 ERA is 12th-highest among relievers with at least 20 innings pitched, while his 6.40 FIP is seventh-worst.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times‘ Mike DiGiovanna on July 17, Street said some of his issues on the mound stemmed from coming back too early from a strained oblique that hampered him earlier in the year:

I don’t regret anything because when I came back, the bullpen needed me. But at end of the day, you can’t escape sometimes when you rush back from an injury and you don’t do all the rehab. That was totally my decision. I didn’t think an oblique would affect me that much. But I have a second half to fix the season. I’ve always had one stretch where I’ve gone 10 straight scoreless outings. If I do that once in second half and pitch like I have my whole career, I’ll end up with an ERA in the twos.

Street’s absence is unlikely to have a major impact on the Angels. The team is already well out of the playoff hunt in the American League West.

The silver lining is that Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia can insert Cam Bedrosian in at closer. In 43 appearances, Bedrosian has a 0.92 ERA and 48 strikeouts. Street’s injury removed the only possible barrier to the 24-year-old handling ninth-inning duties.

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The St. Louis Cardinals placed shortstop Aledmys Diaz on the disabled list with a hairline fracture in his right thumb, per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch.

Continue for updates.

Thumb Injury May Keep Diaz out Beyond DL Stint

Monday, Aug. 1

Diaz suffered the injury Sunday afternoon against the Miami Marlins. An Andrew Cashner fastball hit him in the right hand. After initially attempting to stay in the game, Diaz exited, with Tommy Pham taking his place in the lineup.

“From the moment I got hit, I was scared,” Diaz said after the game, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Thank God it may not be too serious. We’ll have some exams and we’ll know for sure.”

While Diaz was optimistic Sunday about the severity of the problem, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak was less so Monday. He admitted Diaz could be out longer than 15 days, per Goold.

The 26-year-old Cuban has been a pleasant surprise for St. Louis in 2016. In 96 games, he’s batting .312 with 14 home runs and 57 runs batted in. According to FanGraphs, his 2.5 WAR is tied for ninth among qualified shortstops.

At least the Cardinals have another shortstop coming off the DL to compensate for Diaz‘s injury. Goold reported Jhonny Peralta will start at short Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Peralta isn’t having a great year, but at least he gives manager Mike Matheny a nice alternative to Diaz, all things considered.

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The Baltimore Orioles confirmed Monday they acquired Steve Pearce, sending minor league catcher Jonah Heim to the Tampa Bay Rays to complete the deal. 

Pearce, who had previously spent four years as a member of the Orioles, is batting .309 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 60 games.

The 33-year-old broke out in a big way in 2014. Between 2007 and 2013, he had amassed 0.5 WAR on FanGraphs. In 2014, Pearce posted the second-highest WAR (4.9) among qualified Orioles position players.

Given his age, Pearce will probably never be that good again, but he’s a solid hitter who offers a lot of defensive value. Below is a positional breakdown of where he’s played over his MLB career, per Baseball-Reference.com:

“[Pearce] is a proven versatile veteran player who gives our club more punch and stronger defense wherever he is in the lineup,” said Orioles general manager Dan Duquette, per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Dan Connolly noted the respect is mutual between the Orioles and Pearce:

Pearce’s arrival could mean the departure of Nolan Reimold, who has largely been a reserve outfielder for Baltimore. The team has little reason to keep both players, and swapping Reimold with Pearce would be a net upgrade for the Orioles.

While it’s easy to see why Duquette pulled the trigger on the deal, some might question whether the Orioles gave up too much for an aging player who’s set to be a free agent in the offseason.

Heim is still a ways away from the majors. He has played 88 games for Baltimore’s High-A affiliate, batting .216 with seven homers and 30 RBI. The 21-year-old is a far better defender than he is a hitter, though. MLB.com lists him as the 13th-best prospect in the Orioles organization.

On the 20-80 grading scale, Heim received 45 for hitting and 40 for power but 60 for his arm and 50 for fielding. While Heim is unlikely to become an All-Star catcher, some fans might contend the Orioles should have gotten a little more than just Pearce in the trade.

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With the team not quite hitting expectations in 2016, the Oakland Athletics dealt outfielder Josh Reddick and pitcher Rich Hill to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jharel Cotton on Monday, the Dodgers announced:

Joel Sherman of the New York Post commented on the deal:

The postseason isn’t a mathematical impossibility for Oakland, but the playoff door has all but closed on the A’s. They’re 47-58 on the year, 14.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West and 11 games out of a wild-card spot heading into Monday’s slate of games.

As a result, Reddick was a natural candidate to move ahead of the trade deadline. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017, per Spotrac, and the Athletics haven’t hesitated in the past to deal veteran stars they weren’t confident of re-signing in the offseason. 

He also has a fair amount of value. In 243 at-bats, he’s hitting .296 with eight home runs, 28 runs batted in and a .449 slugging percentage. 

Buster Olney of ESPN noted the deal might mean the end of Yasiel Puig’s time in Los Angeles:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports expounded on that point:

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser reported on July 9 the A’s and Reddick had discussions on a new contract but couldn’t come to an agreement. Reddick wanted a four-year deal worth $56 million, while Oakland offered him $36 million over three years.

While the left-handed slugger has become a fan favorite in the Bay Area and has been productive at the plate, it’s easy to see why the Athletics would balk at giving him a four-year contract.

He’ll turn 30 in February, and durability has been a major issue over the last four years. Between 2013 and 2014, Reddick missed a combined 101 games as a result of a sprained wrist and a knee injury. Then in May, he fractured his thumb on a slide into second base:

And for all of Reddick’s progress as a hitter, he remains a massive liability against left-handed pitching. His performance against lefties in 2016 (.172 average) is even below his career average (.222), per Baseball-Reference.com.

Hill, 36, is 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He’s emerged as a surprise borderline All-Star after compiling a total of four starts between 2010 and 2015. While few have ever questioned his talent, Hill has been a regular on the disabled list and seemed to be at a loss when it came to staying on the field over the last half decade. 

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe highlighted how far he’s come:

Oakland also needs to restock its farm system after selling off much of its best minor league stars to build a contending team from 2012 to 2014. Baseball Prospectus ranked the A’s organization 17th to start the 2016 season.

Holmes and Montas are the two prizes of the deal. Holmes was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2014, and at age 20, he has shown real promise as a power pitcher. Montas, 23, is much closer to making a big league impact, having made his MLB debut last September before returning to the minors for 2016. He’s gone through an injury-plagued campaign but was still one of the best prospects in L.A.’s system.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was impressed by the A’s haul:

Ted Berg of For the Win weighed in:

Based on his injury history, trading for Reddick is a slight gamble for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is also running the risk of parting with valuable assets now and then watching Reddick sign with somebody else in the offseason.

All things considered, though, the Dodgers couldn’t have realistically found a much better way to improve their offense ahead of the deadline. Reddick is a good hitter when healthy, and players of his caliber are available in short supply at this time of the year.

A deep run in the postseason will more than justify the cost for Los Angeles, even if Reddick proves to be a half-season rental.

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Only hours remain Monday before the 2016 MLB trade deadline passes, so general managers are working furiously behind the scenes to conclude their business.

A pair of deals came through Sunday, with the Cleveland Indians announcing they acquired Andrew Miller and the Seattle Mariners confirming they sent Wade Miley to the Baltimore Orioles.

The rumor mill should be busy as it keeps up with the latest buzz throughout the league leading up to 4 p.m. ET. Below are updates on some of the bigger stories in MLB ahead of the deadline.

Brewers, Rangers Working out Lucroy Trade

The Indians had everything in place to address one of their biggest issues ahead of the deadline. Then, Jonathan Lucroy exercised his no-trade clause and vetoed the deal that would’ve sent him to Cleveland, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and Curt Hogg.

Lucroy explained his decision:

When you’re dealing with life-altering decisions like this, there are lots of different factors that come into play. Mostly it’s family, and the other half of that is your future in this game, your career. There are a lot of things to take in, and whenever those things don’t line up, decisions have to be made that might be tough. That’s the way it’s got to be, because in my eyes, we have to look out for our best interests.

The All-Star catcher may have only delayed the inevitable. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick laid out the eight teams for whom Lucroy can use his no-trade clause: the Indians, Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals.

The Brewers are in discussions with a team not on the list—the Texas Rangers.

The Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant first reported Texas was talking with Milwaukee about a trade, and he added the Rangers are looking for a pitcher along with Lucroy.

The price to acquire Lucroy will be high. He has consistently been one of the best catchers in the league over the last few years, and he has a team-friendly $5.25 million club option for 2017, per Spotrac. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Jeff Wilson reported Joey Gallo could be going the other way in the trade.

Assuming the trade gets done and more players are involved, the Brewers would be coming out well with Gallo headlining their return. As Crasnick tweeted, the 22-year-old carries a lot of risk:

Gallo had an underwhelming stint in the majors after getting called up last year. He batted .204 with six home runs, 14 RBI and 57 strikeouts in 123 plate appearances. But there’s a reason MLB.com ranks Gallo the 15th-best prospect in baseball.

Trading for a player with 146 home runs in 453 minor league games would be a worthwhile gamble for Milwaukee.

Diamondbacks in No Hurry to Deal Miller

The Shelby Miller trade could go down as one of the worst in the last decade—and maybe beyond that. It doesn’t help that the Atlanta Braves have already moved Dansby Swanson up to their Double-A affiliate in just his first full professional season.

Perhaps it’s patience or stubbornness, but the Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t ready to cut bait from Miller just yet.

Robert Murray of Today’s Knuckleball reported the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins have looked into trading for the right-hander. Murray’s report came before the Marlins added Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea, so they’re likely out of the running.

“We’ve had a ton of (interest),” said Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. “My story to them is the same: We haven’t given up on the young man.”

Stewart’s comments could merely be posturing, as Piecoro added Arizona is open to moving Miller, but only if the price is right: “Stewart, though, says the club isn’t willing to part with him for pennies on the dollar. He said if he were to trade him, the key player coming back would have to be major league-ready. But, in the same breath, he acknowledges the challenge in finding a trade partner given the circumstances.”

At this point, the Diamondbacks might as well hold on to Miller. His value has never been lower, and Arizona only risks looking foolish later should his numbers start trending upward.

A move to the bullpen could help Miller become a reliable pitcher again. Wade Davis had a 5.32 ERA in his final year as a starter and was a lights-out reliever the next season. Zach Britton and Andrew Miller were similarly unimpressive as starting pitchers early in their careers and then became elite late-inning guys.

Turning Miller into an above-average relief pitcher may not help the Diamondbacks recoup the full cost of losing Swanson, Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte, but it would undoubtedly represent an upgrade from where things currently stand.

Padres Looking to Move Norris

The Padres have little reason not to sell almost everything of value they have on the major league roster, and so far, general manager A.J. Preller has flipped a number of veterans for prospects. Derek Norris may be next on the list.

The San Diego Union-Tribune‘s Dennis Lin reported San Diego is making the 2014 All-Star available. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweeted the Rangers, Brewers and Houston Astros are thought to be the main contenders.

Norris is a career .238 hitter, but all five of his MLB seasons have come in relatively spacious ballparks—Oakland Coliseum and Petco Park. His .193 average this year is somewhat concerning, though, and his slugging percentage has fallen from .404 in 2015 to .360.

The 27-year-old is under team control for two more years, per Spotrac, and San Diego’s asking price will be far lower than what the Brewers are demanding for Lucroy. Norris isn’t an optimal addition ahead of the deadline, but he could be a good replacement for Lucroy in Milwaukee or a solid fallback plan for Texas.

Rockies Holding on to Gonzalez, Blackmon

Despite being a game under .500 (52-53), the Colorado Rockies are confident they can make a playoff run. That would explain why the team doesn’t plan on cashing in its two biggest trade assets: Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon.

Heyman reported neither player is likely to be moved by the deadline.

It’s debatable whether the Rockies are genuinely a postseason threat. They’re nine games back in the National League West and five games back of a wild-card spot. Baseball Prospectus gives them just a 2.5 percent chance to make the playoffs.

Of course, that’s not to say Colorado should be a seller. Perhaps that would be the case if the team was looking at losing Gonzalez and/or Blackmon. Instead, Gonzalez is signed through next year, while Blackmon is under team control until 2019, per Spotrac.

With Gonzalez, there’s always the risk that he suffers an injury that decreases his trade value.

Still, the Rockies haven’t had a winning season since 2010 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2009. Fans have had little to cheer about recently, so the team should do what it can to capitalize on its sudden window for success.

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Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a potential trade to the Cleveland Indians, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and Curt Hogg, but that may not stop the Brewers from dealing the two-time All-Star.

Continue for updates.

Rangers, Brewers Working on Deal

Sunday, July 31

Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman reported on Sunday that the Texas Rangers are looking at acquiring Lucroy.

The Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant reported that the Rangers are hoping to get pitching help from Milwaukee as part of the Lucroy trade. Grant added that he believes the Rangers would prioritize a top-end starting pitcher over Lucroy if push came to shove. Heyman later reported that a relief pitcher could also be part of the package sent to Texas.

TR Sullivan of MLB.com added that third baseman Joey Gallo is “likely involved” in the Rangers’ talks with the Brewers.

Mets Drop Out of Pursuit for Lucroy

Sunday, July 31

According to Newsday‘s Marc Carig, the New York Mets were hoping to be in the Lucroy sweepstakes as well, but ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported they’re out of the running.

Lucroy Has Emerged as Desired Target Before Deadline

Unlike Cleveland, Texas and New York wouldn’t have to clear any more hurdles in the event either agreed to a deal with the Brewers. Lucroy’s no-trade clause only applies to eight teams, and the Rangers and Mets aren’t on the list, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.

The appeal of Lucroy is clear. He has a .300/.360/.484 slash line along with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 94 games this year. According to FanGraphs, only Buster Posey (19.3) has a higher WAR than Lucroy (13.4) among qualified catchers since 2013.

The 30-year-old also has a team-friendly $5.25 million club option for 2017, per Spotrac, so he’s not just a half-season rental.

The Brewers could hold onto Lucroy for the rest of this year and then look to move him either in the offseason or at the 2017 deadline. However, his value is unlikely to be any higher than it is now, so Milwaukee’s best move is flipping him ahead of Monday’s non-waiver deadline.

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New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera exited Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies after suffering a strained left patellar tendon, per ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin.  

Continue for updates.

Johnson Fills in For Cabrera

Sunday, July 31

Kelly Johnson replaced Cabrera in the lineup, with Wilmer Flores moving from third to short.

Cabrera suffered the same injury back in March. He was out for a little over two weeks before returning in spring training.

According to Rubin, Sunday’s injury came as the 30-year-old was crossing home plate on a triple by Neil Walker. Mets trainer Ray Ramirez and bench Dick Scott helped him get back to the dugout.

Cabrera entered the game batting .255 with 13 home runs and 33 runs batted in. According to FanGraphs, his 0.9 WAR was tied for fourth on the team among position players.

The timing of the injury is especially bad since Jose Reyes is on the disabled list with a left intercostal strain. He isn’t expected back until potentially Aug. 11. Whereas Reyes would’ve been the natural replacement for Cabrera, manager Terry Collins will likely look to Flores.

The bulk of Flores’ season has come at the hot corner, but he played 103 games last year at shortstop, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Defensively, Cabrera’s absence shouldn’t create too many issues for the Mets. The problems will come offensively, as Johnson—who has three homers and six RBI—is unlikely to provide the same kind of power at the plate.

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The MLB trade rumors are coming quickly with only days remaining until the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline.

A few marquee deals have already been finalized. With what is a shallow free-agent class, teams might feel extra pressure to be aggressive now in order to avoid inflated contracts in the offseason.

Below are updates on three players who could find new homes come August.

Mystery Team Adds Intrigue in Lucroy Rumors

The Milwaukee Brewers don’t necessarily need to trade Jonathan Lucroy before the deadline. He has a club option for 2017, so he won’t be hitting free agency until 2018. Given his performance and the demand for his services, though, dealing Lucroy is the Brewers’ best move.

The 30-year-old entered Friday night with the third-highest WAR (2.8) among qualified catchers, per FanGraphs. He also has a .300/.360/.484 slash line along with 13 home runs and 50 RBI.

The numbers alone would be enough to make Lucroy a marketable asset at the deadline. The scarcity of quality catchers available only makes him a more prized commodity.

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported Friday that multiple teams have submitted proposals to the Brewers for a Lucroy trade.

Reporting for USA Today, Tom Haudricourt wrote the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox are among those weighing the move. According to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, an unidentified team has entered the fray, and the mystery team isn’t likely the Red Sox or Seattle Mariners.

Complicating matters is the fact Lucroy has a no-trade clause that includes eight teams, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. Among the teams, Cleveland looks to be the only one that is in the Lucroy sweepstakes.

With so many teams possibly in the hunt, the Brewers might want to wait until the last minute to drive up Lucroy‘s price as high as possible and maximize their return.

Hill Scratched from Sunday Start

Of course, the Oakland Athletics can attest to the pitfalls of waiting to make a trade. With Rich Hill a prime candidate to move teams, the left-handed starting pitcher won’t be able to take the mound for his scheduled start Sunday, per MLB.com’s Jane Lee. Hill is suffering from a blister on his left middle finger.

A’s general manager David Forst said the injury hasn’t significantly impacted Hill’s trade value:

The deadline is Monday, no matter what happens with Rich. There has been interest, we’ve had conversations. We’re not going to give Rich away just because he’s a free agent next year. He has a lot of value to us and, frankly, who’s to say we’re not interested in keeping Rich beyond this year?

According to Olney, Oakland has packaged Hill together with Josh Reddick in a trade offer to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Olney added that Hill’s blister has cast some doubt on whether he’ll be traded.

At this point, the A’s might be better off holding on to the 36-year-old for the rest of the year. There were already significant questions about his durability. Only once in his previous 11 years has he pitched more than 100 innings.

Hill has already spent time on the disabled list with a groin injury. His blister shouldn’t become a serious problem, but it will give any suitors further pause as to whether he’s a solid addition at the deadline. Surely, the A’s have parties interested in Hill’s services, but his value has decreased quite a bit over the last couple of months.

The Athletics might as well keep Hill and give him a qualifying offer in the offseason, which Olney estimates will be $16.7 million. In what is a weak free-agent crop of pitchers, Hill could test his value on the open market, and should that happen, Oakland would be in line to get a compensatory pick in the 2017 draft.

Pirates Only Trading Melancon for Strong Return

Since he’s one of the best closers in baseball, Aroldis Chapman is an exceptional case. But his trade to the Chicago Cubs, which included shortstop Gleyber Torres going to the New York Yankees, demonstrated teams will have a high asking price if they’re going to deal their best relievers.

A free agent at the end of the year, Mark Melancon likely won’t be a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates once the deadline passes. The Pirates’ playoff chances are fading fast, so they might as well cash in on the 31-year-old while they still can.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Indians, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals are all tracking Melancon. Rosenthal added Pittsburgh is looking to receive a late-inning reliever in addition to one or more prospects.

If that is indeed the Pirates’ position, they may have a hard time getting a deal done. Trading a setup man for a closer doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and Melancon isn’t a closer worthy of surrendering multiple prospects for unless they’re way down the organizational ranking.

Melancon has converted 30 save opportunities and posted a 1.51 ERA, both of which are impressive. On the other hand, he ranks behind the likes of Dan Otero, Ken Giles, Xavier Cedeno and A.J. Ramos with 0.8 WAR, per FanGraphs.

ESPN.com’s Dan Szymborski also made a compelling argument that trading for a closer provides negligible returns over half a season:

For the right price, a Melancon trade could make sense. But unless Pittsburgh lowers its asking price, the investment wouldn’t be worth the cost.

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Eight games out in the American League Central and six games back in the wild-card race, the Kansas City Royals may shop starting pitcher Edinson Volquez ahead of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. 

Continue for updates.

Rangers Looking at Volquez as Trade Target

Monday, July 25

According to ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney, the Texas Rangers are showing interest in acquiring the right-hander.

The Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant reported Sunday that members of the Rangers front office were in attendance for Volquez’s start against Texas. He went six innings, allowing one earned run and seven hits in a 2-1 defeat.

Kansas City doesn’t need to have a full-scale fire sale, but being a seller at the deadline is the team’s best move.

Volquez is a natural trade candidate. He’s technically signed through the 2017 season, but he has a mutual option for next year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In all likelihood, Volquez will decline the option and become a free agent.

Rany Jazayerli of The Ringer wonders, though, if the Royals should consider holding on to the 33-year-old through the deadline:

Volquez is unlikely to bring a massive return, too. He’s on the wrong side of 30, and his performance on the mound has left a little to be desired. Through 21 starts, he’s 8-8 with a 4.56 ERA and a 4.11 FIP, per FanGraphs.

For the right price, dealing Volquez makes sense. Depending on what the Rangers or others are offering, keeping him for the rest of the year wouldn’t be a bad idea for Kansas City, though.

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Months after acquiring him in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Yankees shipped closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

The Cubs announced they had parted with Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford in exchange for Chapman. Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball first reported the deal. 

Torres and McKinney are the most notable inclusions in the deal. Torres ranked first in both Baseball Prospectus‘ and Baseball America‘s top-10 rankings of the Cubs’ minor league organization. McKinney, meanwhile, was fourth on BP and seventh on BA.

Sports on Earth commended the work of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Cubs do not have an agreement on a contract extension with Chapman, noting the Yankees “tried themselves, and [were] rebuffed.” Chapman will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season if he doesn’t sign an extension with Chicago.

According to YES Network’s Jack Curry, the Yankees are open to signing Chapman in the offseason, and the closer said, “Oh, yeah,” when asked whether he’d consider a reunion in New York City.

When the Yankees landed Chapman, they looked to have a historically great bullpen on their hands. Dellin Betances was one of MLB‘s best setup men in 2014 and 2015, and Andrew Miller saved 36 games last season after becoming a dominant late-inning reliever. Adding Chapman to the mix was almost unfair.

MLB suspended the four-time All-Star, though, for the first 30 games of the 2016 season after he violated the league’s and players’ union’s joint policy on domestic violence.

He returned on May 9 against the Kansas City Royals, going one inning and allowing one earned run on two hits:

After shaking off the rust, Chapman picked up where he left off in 2015. He has appeared in 31 games, converting 20 saves and posting a 2.01 ERA. In addition, his FIP (1.93) and xFIP (2.38) are also lower than their 2015 equivalents (1.94 FIP, 2.49 xFIP), per FanGraphs.

One of the bigger concerns with hard-throwing relievers like Chapman is they tend to have smaller windows of dominance than those who rely less on overpowering stuff.

Craig Kimbrel, 28, is starting to level off. Francisco Rodriguez, 34, began declining as an elite closer in his age-27 season but managed to rejuvenate his MLB career following an adjustment to his approach. Brian Wilson’s fall with the San Francisco Giants came just as swiftly as his rise.

In 2012, Bill Petti of FanGraphs found that relief pitchers generally age less gracefully than starting pitchers. Relievers start losing velocity at a younger age, and the effect is more pronounced, as their walks and home runs allowed begin increasing significantly.

While Chapman, 28, is nearing the point at which the aging curve starts becoming an issue, he’s showing few signs of slowing down. Opposing hitters are having slightly more success against his slider, but his fastball remains as dominant as ever.

Here’s a look at Chapman’s batting average, slugging percentage and isolated power against this year by pitch type, per Brooks Baseball:

For the Cubs, acquiring Chapman is a no-brainer. Chicago finds itself in a similar position to where the Yankees were to start the year. Its bullpen is strong even without Chapman, as Hector Rondon has firmly established himself as a legitimate MLB closer over the last three years.

The addition of Chapman takes what was already an asset for the team and makes it even better. The one-two punch of Rondon and Chapman at the end of games will be nearly unstoppable.

ESPN.com’s Dan Szymborski questioned, however, the value of adding Chapman:

Heyman countered that winning a World Series would make trading for Chapman worth it:

Once considered the World Series favorite, the Cubs leveled off a bit, going 18-20 in June and the first half of July before the All-Star break. Chicago needed a spark to rekindle the momentum it had in April and May, which trading for Chapman should provide.

On the other side, the Yankees can afford to part with Chapman. An elite-level closer, especially one who is set to be a free agent at the end of the year, is more of a luxury than a necessity for a team on the outskirts of the MLB playoff picture. According to Baseball Prospectus, New York only has a 7.5 percent chance of reaching the postseason.

The Yankees’ fate will likely be the same without Chapman as it would’ve been with him. By making this deal, New York at least received a handful of assets for the future rather than potentially watching the left-hander leave in free agency at the end of the year.

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