On August 9 of last season, less than two weeks after he was traded from the A’s to the Reds, southpaw reliever Sam Moll gave up two runs in a third of an inning and was charged with a blown save. However, after that, Moll did not allow any more runs in 20 consecutive appearances, covering 19.0 innings in which he gave up eight hits, 11 walks, and recorded 14 strikeouts. Before moving to Cincinnati, Moll was almost traded to the Cubs.
Oh, what could have happened for a Cubs team that was 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the National League Central on September 6, but then finished the year with a 7-15 slide. The Cubs were just one game out of a wild-card spot and while the team’s late decline was not entirely because of the bullpen, a late-inning stopper like Moll could have made the difference between a postseason run and a non-playoff letdown.
As reported by Reds beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer, before the Reds eventually acquired Moll by sending starter Joe Boyle to Oakland, the Cubs believed Moll was on his way to them. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
Cubs ‘Were Close’ to Deal for Moll
Here’s what Wittenmyer, who was a longtime Cubs beat writer before he joined the Cincinnati Enquirer last year, wrote about the Moll situation this week.
“The Reds initially rejected the A’s request for Joe Boyle in the deadline trade for lefty reliever Sam Moll last summer.
“‘They said no on Joe a couple of times until they finally came back and said yeah,’ A’s GM David Forst said.
“Until then, the Chicago Cubs believed they were close to finalizing their own deal for Moll, a team source there said.”
In total, Moll had a 2-0 record with a 0.73 ERA for the Reds after the July 31 trade was completed. A somewhat small late bloomer (Moll is 5-foot-9 and 32 years old), he had a challenging Spring Training as he dealt with shoulder soreness from his offseason throwing program. He gave up six runs in 1.2 innings in Arizona this month, resulting in a hefty 32.40 ERA.
Craig Counsell a Top Bullpen Manager
As it stands, the Cubs are expected to have a strong bullpen in 2024, led by closer Adbert Alzolay with support from set-up men Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. Hector Neris and Yancey Almonte are also likely to play significant roles. The team is lacking in left-handed pitchers—Moll would have been helpful in that area—but manager Craig Counsell is satisfied with his group.
Counsell had a reputation in Milwaukee for being one of the better managers when it comes to getting the most out of bullpen talent. Counsell is leaving the roles in the bullpen as an unanswered question, suggesting the unit will, “evolve.”
“As people, we love to know exactly what we’re going to do,” Counsell said of the bullpen, per The Athletic. “But at the same time, it’s not always best for the group to make it so defined. Sometimes it’s a little harder. The game doesn’t always present itself in this clearly defined way.
“The place we start with, with all pitchers, is our job is to get outs. If we start from that place and work to be a little more defined, that’s the best place to be.”
