Epstein’s bold move for Aroldis not surprising

You knew this was coming, right?

The Cubs have agreed to a deal to acquire left-hander Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees, a source told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. The clubs have not confirmed.

It’s the kind of move the Cubs have been putting themselves in position to make for a couple years. They’ve gotten themselves in a strong position, and now they’re pushing their chips to the middle of the table.

Team president Theo Epstein pretty much turned the only weakness on his team into one more strength in one stroke. It was a move that 14 other National League teams must have dreaded, but known was probably coming.

While other clubs coveted the Cuban closer, none of them can match Chicago’s combination of motivation and potential trade pieces. This is a deal the Cubs couldn’t let fall apart and risk having Chapman wind up with the Nationals or another team they will likely face in October.

So a deal built around 19-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres is where this ended up. Torres, who MLB Pipeline has ranked as Chicago’s No. 1 prospect, seems a high price to pay, even for a closer who is the hardest thrower in the Majors, but that simply speaks to Epstein’s motivation right now.

Trading Chapman, who is on the verge of his first taste of free agency since he signed with the Reds in 2010, speaks only to the Yankees’ outlook this season. They are making the Cubs pay highly with Torres, a skilled two-way shortstop who could wind up as Derek Jeter’s long-term replacement in the Bronx.

When Chicago rolled to the NL Championship …

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