Cubs bullpen: Merry-go-round of mediocrity |
The Cubs have finally made an effort to address their extreme bullpen needs. This week, it was announced that the Cubs traded slugging minor league infielder Jake Slaughter to Seattle in exchange for Tyson Miller.
Miller made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2020 and has since bounced around with the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Mariners across his 42.1 innings of major league work. In nine games with the Mariners in 2024, he has pitched to a 3.09 ERA with 12 strikeouts. Miller should be a nice boost to an ailing bullpen. The Cubs opening-day bullpen looks wildly different. The opening-day closer, Adbert Alzolay, has blown five saves already in 2024 and is currently on the injured list with a 4.67 ERA and a very concerning forearm/elbow injury. Joining him on the injured list is Yency Almonte, one of the Cubs’ few reliable relievers thus far. Almonte has been sidelined with a shoulder injury — but has a 3.45 ERA in 15.2 innings to go along with 19 strikeouts. Julian Merryweather was the first bullpen arm to hit the injured list — with a broken rib. His 1.93 ERA in four appearances was an excellent start to the season, but he is now on the 60-day injured list with no timetable for his return. Drew Smyly, slotted initially to be the Cubs’ long-inning reliever, has been on the injured list for a few weeks due to a back injury and is currently progressing through his return process. The only other lefty that broke came with the team is Luke Little, who has a 7.00 ERA in 10 games and was sent back down to the minor leagues less than a month into the season and has just recently returned. That brings up Jose Cuas, who owned a 9.00 ERA so far this season before his recent call-up. Cuas was the first bullpen arm to be sent back down to the minor leagues — where he struck out 17 batters in eight innings of work — and is now back in MLB with a chance to redeem himself. The only two players from the opening-day bullpen who are still on the bug league team and healthy are Mark Leiter Jr. and Hector Neris. Leiter Jr. has a 0.53 ERA in 17 appearances and has been the only true guarantee in the Cubs’ bullpen. Neris has been dangerous but successful. The veteran right-hander has allowed 27 baserunners in 15 innings — but has posted a 3.00 ERA with six saves thus far and now occupies the closer role. The only two pitchers who have been excellent in the Cubs bullpen are Ben Brown and Hayden Wesneski. The pair combined to make 15 appearances and seven starts. It’s hard to call either of them true bullpen arms because they have been needed out of the rotation or as long-inning relief options as opposed to high-leverage arms — but they have been God sends to Craig Counsell’s pitching staff. Brown has a 3.73 ERA in 31.1 innings with 33 punchouts. Wesneski has a sparkling 2.10 ERA — allowing just one run in his first 16.2 innings. He has allowed five runs over his last nine innings pitched and still owns one of the best ERAs out of this group. Daniel Palencia is another arm currently on the 15-day IL. Palencia is the only true flame thrower in the Cubs bullpen, as he routinely hits triple digits on the radar gun. However, Palencia has struggled to keep the ball in the strike zone and is currently on the shelf. Colton Brewer and Richard Lovelady were called up due to injury. Brewer has a 3.09 ERA in just under 12 innings and is approaching consideration for Counsell’s circle of trust. Meanwhile, Lovelady served as the Cubs’ only lefty for a while and had an ERA just a touch below 8.00 before being designated for assignment. That leaves Keegan Thompson, the most recent addition to the injured list. Thompson was excellent in his first five outings, pitching 9.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts. However, his last four outings have been ugly. He has allowed seven runs in just three innings of work. This is before landing on the 15-day IL with a viral infection. Not to mention, the Cubs starters have been banged up, too. Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, and Jordan Wicks have all spent time on the injured list this season. The Cubs have had 23 different pitchers face hitters in 2024, and most of them have been on the injured list or have spent time in the minor leagues (either for development or poor performance). Only four (4!!) pitchers on the Cubs’ opening day roster have not spent any time in the minor leagues or on the injured list (Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, Mark Leiter Jr., and Hector Neris). The bullpen, needless to say, has been a merry-go-round of mediocrity.
