"The Cubs are going to need to overhaul their bullpen this winter after trading Andrew Kittredge to the Orioles yesterday while Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar are all ticketed for free agency. Despite those four departures draining their entire high-leverage relief mix outside of Daniel Palenica, however, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports that Chicago's front office is not expected to be involved in the market's of this winter's top free agent relief arms."
"That's not especially surprising, as the Cubs have generally eschewed high-dollar multi-year deals for relievers over the years. There have been some rare exceptions to that rule, such as the three-year deal the Cubs signed Craig Kimbrel to in 2019 while Theo Epstein was in charge and the team's pursuit of southpaw Tanner Scott in free agency under Jed Hoyer last offseason, but the Cubs have long preferred to build their bullpen on a budget. That includes last year's group. Keller was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, Pomeranz was acquired from the Mariners in a minor trade back in April, and Thielbar's big league deal guaranteed him just $2.75MM total. Those three pitchers posted ERAs of 2.07, 2.17, and 2.64 respectively while combining for 177 1/3 innings across 192 appearances."
"Sharma suggests that trying to find value on the margins of the market with minor league deals and reclamation projects figures to be the club's goal once again this winter, though he does leave the door open for the possibility that the Cubs could jump into the market on a bigger name relief arm if their expected market doesn't materialize and they linger into January and February. Otherwise, it seems as though the Cubs won't be adding a top tier closer this winter. Sharma specifically names , Robert Suarez, and Devin Williams as players who aren't likely to be in the cards for Chicago at this point."
Chicago must rebuild its bullpen after trading Andrew Kittredge and seeing Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Caleb Thielbar head toward free agency, leaving Daniel Palencia as the primary high-leverage holdover. The front office is not expected to chase the market's top free-agent relief arms and will likely pursue low-cost solutions. The team has historically avoided high-dollar multi-year reliever contracts and has found success with minor-league invites, trades, and bargain deals. Recent low-cost additions posted strong ERAs and heavy usage. The expected plan is to target reclamation projects and minor-league signings, with a larger move only if clear value appears.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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