Bernfield: With Chapman, it's on Cubs now to deliver
Team president Theo Epstein made the first go-for-it trade of his tenure with the Cubs this past week, putting the pressure squarely on his team to deliver the World Series title in 2016.
Epstein traded his top prospect, Gleyber Torres, young outfielders Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford and pitcher Adam Warren to the New York Yankees to rent flame-throwing left-hander Aroldis Chapman for three months with eyes focused on October.
Chapman becomes a free agent at season's end, with no guarantee he will even consider resigning with the Cubs on a long-term contract. But Epstein is only focused on the short term and how the Cubs can tilt the odds in their favor for three postseason series.
Chapman comes with baggage. While never charged, he was investigated for domestic violence last October and suspended by Major League Baseball for the first month of the season.
Epstein and the Cubs' brass knew their acquisition of Chapman would be met with mixed feelings from fans. Their gamble is that fans will put their feelings aside if the Cubs win 11 games in October.
Chapman's addition turns the Cubs' bullpen from a potential liability to a definitive strength. The left-hander is the best reliever in baseball, and his terrifying velocity makes him nearly impossible to hit.
Before his arrival, the Cubs' pitching staff had thrown zero 100-mph pitches in 2016. Wednesday night, 13 of Chapman's first 15 pitches in Cubbie blue registered in triple-digits, and with accuracy.
Adding him to the bullpen gives skipper Joe Maddon two closers at the end of the game. Now, Hector Rondon can focus on a setup role, primarily pitching the eighth inning. Maddon can use the combination of Pedro Strop, Mike Montgomery, Travis Wood and Joe Nathan to put the game in his two closers' hands with the lead.
Ask last year's Kansas City Royals how important it is to shorten the game in October.
For the first time in the Epstein era, the focus has shifted from the future to the present. Last year marked the beginning of their winning window, and the organization made three major free-agent acquisitions to maximize their chances to win with this season in mind.
Never before had the Cubs made a blockbuster move with a sole focus on the present.
By acquiring Chapman for such a steep price with no guarantee he will return next season, Epstein has sent a clear message to his players: It's on them to win now.
The Cubs are loaded with young talent primed for lasting success. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber all are under 27, their best days ahead of them.
But the Cubs are ready to win now. And nobody believes that more than Epstein.
• Jordan Bernfield is an anchor and co-host of “Inside The Clubhouse” on WSCR 670-AM The Score. He also works as a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN. Follow him on Twitter@JordanBernfield.