The Chicago Cubs chances at a playoff spot fell apart early last season when the bullpen experienced a full-on collapse. The lack of a secure bullpen put the team in a hole from which they were never able to fully emerge.
And, although the bullpen rebounded by the end of June, becoming one of the better crews in the league, it was too little, too late for a Cubs team that was already too far behind to catch up.
“Being self-critical, I feel like that’s something I didn’t do a good job of last offseason…When Adbert (Alzolay) struggled early, when (Héctor) Neris struggled early, when Julian (Merryweather) got hurt, we didn’t have the depth at that point that we needed,” Hoyer told The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma back in October of last year. “That’s something that we’ll certainly look to improve going forward. That hurt us early.
“At a critical moment when those guys struggled and were hurt early, we didn’t have enough depth in that moment, and that hurt us. That’s something we have to address.”
So, have the Cubs addressed their bullpen depth issues?
The Chicago Cubs Bullpen Moves
Aside from some minor depth acquisitions, Chicago acquired 28-year-old right-hander Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians via trade. They also got 30-year-old right-hander Cody Poteet from the New York Yankees for Cody Bellinger.
Morgan and Poteet are solid additions to a bullpen that, maybe, needs something more than “solid.”
That’s where the 34-year-old Paul Sewald may come in.
The 8-year veteran closer is coming off a down year for the Arizona Diamondbacks where he finished with a 4.31 ERA and notched 16 saves, but he’s only one year removed from posting back-to-back 30+ save seasons with an ERA in the low 3s.
What Paul Sewald Has To Say
“I’ve shown that I can be a closer. I think teams should respect that as we have our conversations.”@ItsPaulSewald wants to go somewhere he’s comfortable but wouldn’t mind taking on a non-closer role with the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/NJQWNs3EM2
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 13, 2024
Sewald has been talking a lot in the offseason about the possibility of signing with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, but he’s also focused on going to a team where he can step into the closer role– a position in which he’d most definitely serve as a Chicago Cub.
“I just need to make sure I am in the best situation for me and my family, and somewhere where I’m going to be the best version of myself,” Sewald said during a recent appearance on The Foul Territory Show. I wasn’t necessarily the best version of myself this year, so that is all I’m focused on, is trying to figure out what organization is going to bring out the best in me. Whether it’s new coaches, new analytics, new ideas, and then we’re going to go from there.”
The Chicago Cubs need to roll the dice
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report estimates that Sewald could be signed on a one-year, $7 million deal, a price point which would be in line with what the Cubs might be expected to spend for what amounts to rental player looking for a comeback year and a re-entry into the free agent market at the end of the 2025 season.
If the Dodgers don’t swoop down and scoop Paul Sewald up, the Cubs would do well to roll the dice on someone who could take the much-needed closer spot.
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