The Chicago Cubs were once flying high, sporting the most potent offensive in the game and overachieving with their pitching, despite several injury-related obstacles.
Their entertaining run over the first few months of the season had sparked optimism among fans and even some very reasonable World Series talk.
One of the big success stories of that early run centered on the Cubs’ bullpen and its seemingly miraculous turnaround.
After a rough start, manager Craig Counsell and staff helped turn a ragtag group of mostly castoffs and unproven assets into one of the better bullpens in baseball. Right below the shocking surge of the early Cubs’ offense, it was the surprise success story of the season.
The rise and fall of the 2025 Chicago Cubs bullpen
With Daniel Palencia stepping up from the minors to win the closer gig and fairly nondescript veteran names such as Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, and Drew Pomeranz suddenly pitching at an elite level, the Cubs’ relief corps earned recognition as a top shelf crew for a first place team.
Things have come back down to earth considerably for a now-second place Cubs team. In terms of overall ERA, Chicago’s bullpen is now firmly middle of the pack.
The hope was that the trade deadline additions of Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers would bring some new blood and fresh energy to a pen that was definitely feeling the stress and strain of the run to the postseason. The jury is still out on whether the acquisitions will have the desired affect. Many would argue that a back-of-bullpen reliever to aid Palencia would’ve been of much greater use.
They’ll almost all be gone next year
Whatever the case, the Cubs bullpen is what it is and time will tell whether it’ll be enough to take the team deep into the playoffs.
Looking beyond this season, though, there will be some major uncertainty when it comes to the bullpen.
Of the eight pitchers currently comprising the Cubs’ full-time bullpen, six could hit the free agency market at the end of this season. Ryan Brasier, Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Taylor Rogers will flat-out become free agents when the 2025 campaign ends. Andrew Kittredge, meanwhile, is subject to a pricey $9 million club option that the Cubs may not exercise.
Starter/swing man Michael Soroka, also acquired at the trade deadline, will become a free agent after this year as well.
For those keeping track, that leaves Daniel Palencia and Nate Pearson (who is eligible for arbitration next season), as the only two locks to be back in 2026, although Pearson’s 9.20 ERA over just 11 games hardly guarantees him a roster spot.
Given the track record of the Cubs’ front office, re-signing the other guys may not be in the cards.
Rebuilding
That’s a lot of turnover to worry about over the course of an offseason and a lot of room for some baseball-tragic miscalculations.
The hope is that Porter Hodge, who is currently on rehab assignment in Iowa, will still be around next year after an injury-plagued 2025. The injured Eli Morgan could also be in the picture. There’s also Ethan Roberts and Gavin Hollowell, who’ve had cups of tea at the major league level this season with varying degrees of success. Luke Little could also be a lefty option brought up from Triple-A.
But, all in all, the Cubs will have to go out and reassemble almost an entire bullpen this offseason.
The optimist would say that it gives the team plenty of opportunity to build things right. The realist, though, dreads the daunting task.
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