Chicago Cubs would be wise to fix leaky bullpen with one of these late pickups

The Chicago Cubs have proven themselves to be an exciting and resourceful team in 2025 and have thus far been, mostly, successful in putting their best feet forward.

Carried by their offense and some key starting pitching performances, the team has done well enough to earn a first place spot very early on in this season. But baseball is a full-team endeavor and even one glaring weakness could bring a squad down considerably.

With that in mind, the question has to be asked– how much longer can the Cubs keep winning at a division-leading pace with a bullpen that is under-performing, especially in the late innings?

Even right now, with just over a dozen games on the ledger, one can feel the strain of the balancing act, where multiple aspects of the team work overtime to compensate for a relief corps that may or may not be there to hold a lead.

Ryan Pressly, acquired from the Houston Astros in the offseason, has struggled in the closer role, posting a whopping 2.500 WHIP, with 9 hits and 6 walks in 6 innings. Nate Pearson, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, and Eli Morgan have also delivered performances ranging from shaky to disastrous.

The Chicago Cubs Need To Fix The Cracks Before A Full-On Collapse

While it’s, indeed, very early in the season, the fact of the matter is that, last season, we saw similar cracks in the bullpen very early on and didn’t work to fix things until there was a full-on collapse. So, it would be advisable for a team with postseason aspirations to go handle something like this before things get too far out of hand.

Barring a rare early-season trade, the only way to address bullpen troubles right now is with still-available arms on the free agent market.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently spotlighted two veteran relievers who could be of interest to Chicago and who could nicely– and relatively economically– satisfy the team’s needs.

David Robertson Could Be A Nice Fit

Robertson, a former Cub, is a 40-year-old arm coming off a prime-level season with the Texas Rangers where he finished with a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings.

Per Miller:

“David Robertson is no spring chicken. In fact, he’s turning 40 on April 9 and was already the eighth-oldest player to appear in a game last season.

However, six of the seven players older than Robertson signed new contracts this offseason and have already made their 2025 debuts, so it’s not like he aged himself out of relevance.

Nor did he render himself obsolete with his play. He provided more bWAR (1.7) in 2024 than everyone else 38 or older with the exception of Carlos Santana (2.5).”

The 16-year veteran has recently served as both a closer and a setup man and, despite his age, there’s no real indication that he’s slipping. Bringing him to Chicago, even as one-year stopgap insurance to Pressly and Porter Hodge wouldn’t be an unwise decision.

Will Smith As A Southpaw Gamble

Smith is another veteran reliever without a team so far this season. But, unlike Robertson, he most definitely has not been pitching at anything resembling top form.

The 12-year veteran limped into free agency after a 2024 that saw him post a 6.53 ERA with the Kansas City Royals. The once-dependable reliever hasn’t had a Will Smith-type year since 2019, but as a bargain bin late pickup with a lot to prove, he may be a smart gamble.

The Cubs, especially, with just one lefty in the bullpen, might want to kick the tires on offering Smith a chance to create a redemption year for himself.

Per Miller:

“…teams with Smith on their roster have fared preposterously well over the past four years. He won three straight World Series with Atlanta, Houston and Texas and was present for Kansas City’s improbable transformation from a 106-loss mess directly into a playoff team…

Even if you don’t believe there’s anything to that mojo, plenty of teams could use a veteran southpaw reliever with more than 100 saves in his career. Despite his struggles last season, it’s surprising Smith hasn’t been able to find work after he saved 22 games with a 3.36 FIP for the Rangers in 2023.”

The idea of picking up Robertson or Smith is certainly worth exploring for the Cubs as the team continues to assemble a working, dependable bullpen.

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