The Chicago Cubs just strengthened an already solid bullpen by adding a dominant Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the New York Yankees on Monday. While the price was definitely expensive, Chapman's presence on the Cubs will have wide-ranging ramifications moving forward.
Here's a dude that's broken his own record for the fastest pitch thrown in MLB history (105.1 MPH). He's struck out an absurd 15.2 batters per nine innings in his career, and has posted a 2.01 ERA to go with a 0.89 WHIP thus far this season. Needless to say, his impact on the Cubs will be felt big time.
However, let's focus on this from a fantasy perspective — primarily what it means for one of the best rotations in baseball.
Chicago's starters represent 47 of the team's 59 wins heading into Monday's action. More than that, and equally as important from a fantasy perspective, each starter is on pace to put up 200-plus innings. When looking at it through a fantasy lens, shortening the game is going to make a huge difference for the team's starters, especially those of Arrieta and Lester's ilk.
The addition of Chapman pushes Hector Rondon into a set-up role and makes Pedro Strop a seventh-inning guy. While this might not be up to the level of the Kansas City Royals over the past couple years, it surely does turn most games into seven-inning affairs. If the Cubs' starter finds a way to exit around that time with the lead, he should come out with a winning decision.
What we see here is a dominating level of performance from those tasked with closing out the final two-to-four innings of a game. While this could impact the overall numbers of Chicago's starting staff (innings, strikeouts etc ...), it will likely help the rotation continue putting up huge win numbers — a necessity from a fantasy perspective.
It's also important to note just how good Chicago's rotation has been when getting some run support. Arrieta, Lester and Hammel boast a combined 27-0 record when the team puts up five-plus runs this season. So here you have a dominant performance when the team scores some runs coupled with an equally dominant back-end of the bullpen. That's a recipe for success for all three of these starters, especially when it comes to DFS contests. Take note.