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When Ben Zobrist took a personal leave of absence from the Chicago Cubs in early May 2019 as details of marital trouble emerged, I don’t think anyone thought we wouldn’t see him again until September, when he closed out the final month of the year with the team before his career abruptly drew to a close.
Of course, the funds Chicago saved due to that leave of absence ($7.5 million) allowed Theo Epstein to go out and add Craig Kimbrel, who is one of the most valuable players in baseball with the trade deadline approaching.