CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs made their deadline splash early in the form of big-ticket bullpen addition Aroldis Chapman. The acquisition at the actual deadline was more of a ripple, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t important.
Chicago acquired veteran righty Joe Smith from the Los Angeles Angels prior to Monday’s trade deadline in exchange for minor-league right-hander Jesus Castillo. Smith, 32, is a righty-killing, groundball-inducing, side-arming specialist who offers a much different profile than the Cubs' other primary relief options.
"He’s a veteran guy," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said.