Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season. |
CHICAGO -- The majority of the pitchers who did the heavy lifting for the Cubs’ bullpen last season are no longer with the ballclub. The high rate of turnover this offseason made filling those vacancies a top priority for Chicago’s front office, leading to an overhauled relief corps for the upcoming campaign. Cubs manager Craig Counsell has plenty of new “out-getters” (to borrow his phrase) to choose for the Opening Day bullpen, but how exactly the relievers will slot into place will take time. The first step will be building the initial unit during Spring Training and then letting the season reveal the best path forward. “The bullpen is where the team has turned over the most and looks different the most,” Counsell said during Cubs Convention in mid-January. “Also, we know that’s an area of volatility on all teams. So, I don’t think we’ll have solid answers on that for a while. “I think we’ve brought what we think is a talented group to form a really good unit. But, like roles? It’s going to be into the season before we kind of probably establish some things.” Here is how the bullpen picture looks right now with Spring Training looming: |
Virtual locks • RHP Hunter Harvey • RHP Phil Maton • LHP Hoby Milner • RHP Daniel Palencia • LHP Caleb Thielbar • RHP Jacob Webb Only Palencia (under team control through 2030) and Thielbar (re-signed via a one-year, $4.5 million deal) return from the main ‘25 cast. The 25-year-old Palencia emerged as a closing option last year (22 saves and a 2.91 ERA), making him an early favorite for save opportunities this season. The veteran Thielbar was rock solid last year, posting a 2.64 ERA in 67 games, while limiting lefties to a .161 average and a .486 OPS. Maton joined the Cubs on a two-year deal ($14.5 million guaranteed with an option for ‘28) after a career year between the Cardinals and Rangers (2.79 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings) in ‘25. Chicago sees high upside in the hard-throwing Harvey, brought in a lefty Counsell has worked with before in Milner and added a consistent performer in Webb (3.22 ERA in 169 games across ‘23-25). All three inked a one-year deal (plus ‘27 options for Harvey and Webb). |
Swingman options • RHP Javier Assad • RHP Ben Brown • RHP Colin Rea • LHP Jordan Wicks The 35-year-old Rea re-signed with the Cubs after finishing second on the team in innings (159 1/3) last season. He began as a reliever, but he moved into the rotation when injuries struck the group and was reliable (3.95 ERA overall). Rea finds himself in a similar spot to begin ‘26, and he should have a spot on the Opening Day pitching staff in some capacity. The Cubs will have to determine the best approach with Assad, Brown and Wicks as well. All three serve as depth for the rotation and could be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to remain in that mode at the start of the season. That said, they each have relief experience, too. Brown, in particular, could be intriguing as a hard-throwing option out of the bullpen. |
Next-man up
• RHP Porter Hodge
The 24-year-old Hodge was brilliant as a rookie in ‘24, earning late-inning assignments and finishing with a 1.88 ERA and nine saves over 39 games in Counsell’s first year in Chicago. Last season, injuries and inconsistency struck, leading to stints on the injured list and in Triple-A for the big righty. Hodge is in a position to use this spring to convince the Cubs to keep him in the big league bullpen. Otherwise, expect him to be one of the main next-man-up options this season. |
Depth on 40-man roster
• RHP Gavin Hollowell • LHP Luke Little • RHP Jack Neely • RHP Ethan Roberts • LHP Riley Martin • LHP Ryan Rolison
With the exception of Martin, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, these relievers have varying degrees of MLB experience. Rolison (claimed off waivers from the White Sox on Jan. 7) is new to the organization. These arms can try to open eyes this spring, but they also are in position to serve as depth during the inevitable roster churn over 162 games. |
Non-roster candidates
This list could continue to grow in the days and weeks ahead, but the Cubs have added right-handers Jeff Brigham, Corbin Martin, Collin Snider and Trent Thornton on Minor League deals (with non-roster invites to MLB camp). It can be an uphill battle for an NRI player to crack an Opening Day roster, but it happens. Just last spring, righty Brad Keller made the Cubs as a non-roster invitee and developed into a key, trusted arm before earning a two-year deal with the Phillies this winter. |
|
|
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
|
|
The Cubs finished the 2025 season with 223 home runs and 161 stolen bases as a team. When was the last time any Major League team reached at least those statistical benchmarks in a single campaign? A. 2023 B. 1987 C. 1961 D. Never |
|
|
• MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand: Cubs a winter winner. Read more >> • Which Cubs prospect just missed the Top 100 list? Read more >> • Justin Steele doing well in comeback for Cubs. Read more >> • Wide range of topics in the latest Reddit AMA. Read more >> • Cubs nab intriguing international outfield prospect. Read more >> • Is Ian Happ the most consistent player in MLB? Read more >> |
|
|
THIS WEEK IN CUBS HISTORY |
Jan. 27, 1982: The Cubs shipped shortstop Ivan de Jesus to the Phillies for veteran shortstop Larry Bowa and a player described by the Chicago Tribune after the trade as “an untested Minor Leaguer.” That untested farmhand was, of course, the legendary Ryne Sandberg, who went on to become one of baseball’s all-time great second basemen and a Hall of Famer for the Cubs. Click here for a story on the extensive trade tree that led to Sandberg arriving in Chicago. |
|
|
D. Never Prior to the 2025 season, no MLB team had achieved at least 223 homers and 161 steals in a single season. And get this: TWO teams did so in ‘25. The Cubs and Mariners (238 homers and 161 steals) both hit those marks. If you lower the threshold to 220 homers and 160 steals, the ‘23 Rays, ‘98 Blue Jays and ‘96 Rockies join the list. Ten teams have hit at least 200 homers with at least 150 steals in a season. |
|
|
FORWARDED FROM A FRIEND? SUBSCRIBE NOW |
To subscribe to Cubs Beat, visit this page and mark "Cubs Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Cubs or that they're checked as your favorite team. |
|
|
|
