Four bullpen options for Cubs |
With the addition of Ryan Pressly, acquired via their trade with the Houston Astros, the Cubs can enter the 2025 season with an experienced closer to anchor their pen. That was one of their many goals heading into the offseason, and although it took longer than they would've liked, they now have a guy who can handle the late-game pressure.
Even with his addition, this team blew 27 saves a season ago, and with Pressly coming off a down season, you have to wonder how confident the fan base is with him closing and how long his leash will be should he struggle. Chicago does have Porter Hodge as an additional option should things go south, as he looks destined for the eighth inning. Those two will play a massive role in the overall success of the bullpen, but so will every other internal option and offseason addition. Despite this team's additions to improve the pen, the Cubs focus on one more reliever before calling it a day for the 2025 offseason. Guys like Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Andrew Chafin, and David Robertson are all outstanding options, but unless the Cubs go out of their comfort zone and break the bank to sign one of these guys, those acquisitions don't seem likely. Even if those are the most significant names remaining on the relief market, Jed Hoyer is known for making those flyer types prove it deals, which he calls reclamation projects. Although the fans don't like those deals, Hoyer has had plenty of success with those types of contracts. With several bounce-back candidates still on the open market, you could see a scenario where Hoyer goes with a reclamation guy to round out the pen on a low-cost offer. The biggest of those names is former Cubs pitcher Kendall Graveman, who is looking to get back into a late-inning role. Graveman came up through the Oakland A's system as a starter, putting up mixed results before blowing out his elbow in 2018. The Cubs elected to sign Graveman ahead of the 2019 season, where he went on to rehab all season before playing a massive role in South Bend's championship later that year. To bring him back in 2020, Graveman ended up signing with Seattle, where he emerged as one of the better set-up men over the next few seasons. Look no further than his 2021 season, where he combined for a 1.77 ERA across 53 games with Seattle and Houston, locking down 10 saves. Since then, Graveman has bounced between the White Sox and Astros, putting up solid numbers before missing the 2024 season with another arm injury. Hoping for one last crack on an MLB roster, Graveman would give the Cubs another late-inning arm to play with. If he can return to form, you have a guy capable of touching 97 with his fastball and coming at hitters with an impressive sinker. He mixes in a change-up and a slider with that pitch and was a big strikeout guy for several years.
If you want the definition of a late bloomer, look no further than 39-year-old Daniel Bard. After breaking onto the scene in 2009 with the Boston Red Sox and putting together some solid seasons, Bard left the game of baseball and didn't return until the 2020 season as a member of the Colorado Rockies.
In the four years since his return, Bard has not only emerged as one of the Rockies better late-inning options, posting a 4.35 ERA over 188 games, but has locked down 60 saves during that stretch. That included his career-high mark of 34 in 2022 when Bard also went out to post a 1.79 ERA.
Things weren't as good in 2023 as he labored through 50 games before missing the 2024 campaign with an injury. Given his age and the unknowing of what he even has left in the tank, he would be the one to steer clear of all the reclamation projects out there.
Another late-bloomer type of pitcher is the 31-year-old righty Drew Smith, who is not only healthy again but is ready to return to someone's pen for the 2025 season. Smith wasn't a significant name early on in his career, as he made his big league debut in 2018, but saw less than 40 games across his first three seasons.
It wasn't until the 2021 season that Smith started to carve out a regular role before taking off in 2022. After posting a 2.40 ERA across 31 games in 2021, Smith had some regression in the next two seasons, posting a 3.33 ERA in 2022 and a 4.15 ERA in 2023. The 2023 season was his most extensive work, as he emerged as one of the more frequently used relievers in the Mets pen, appearing in 62 games.
Last season, Smith got back on track before his season was cut short due to injury. Across 19 games in 2024, Smith was well on his way to having one of his best seasons, posting a 3.06 ERA and striking out 23 in 17 innings. He did walk nine batters in those innings, but if he can come close to those numbers next season, he would be considered a steal.
The final pitcher to discuss is the hard-throwing righty Keynan Middleton, who will be looking to step back on a big league mound for the first time since 2023. Armed with a fastball that averages 98 and can touch 100, Middleton got off to a great start, posting an ERA at or below 3.86 in his first three MLB seasons.
That included marks of 2.04 in 2018 and 1.17 in 2019, but with less than 30 innings thrown in those two seasons, it was a minimal sample size. Then came the COVID season, during which Middleton was roughed up. He posted a 5.25 ERA in 13 games, leaving his future in doubt. Seattle took a chance on him for the 2021 season, and he posted a 4.94 ERA before a career-worst 5.29 ERA in 2022.
With his career hanging on the line, Middleton refused to quit and latched on with the White Sox ahead of the 2023 season, where he posted a 3.96 ERA in 39 games. Although not significant, he did get the attention of the New York Yankees as they traded for him at the deadline and were rewarded with a 1.88 ERA over 12 games.
Again, none of these would be the types of deals that fans would get excited about, but they are the deals Hoyer likes to make happen this late in the offseason. Not only would they come cheap, but if any of those deals pan out, you could be looking at a massive upgrade to the pen for a cheap price, leaving the door open to make more mid-season moves.
