Report: Cubs showing interest in veteran reliever |
For what seems like the 100th straight season, the Cubs are actively looking to improve their bullpen. However, unlike the David Ross era, where the team was trying to piece the pen together on one-year deals, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins are more open than ever to adding relievers on multiple-year contracts for sustainability.
Now, that doesn't mean that every signing will be multi-year additions, as some may still land one-year deals, but the Cubs know that their bullpen needs to be drastically better this season if they want to go where they believe they can go. The most recent name connected to the Chicago Cubs is veteran Righty Robert Stephenson, as the Cubs are one of seven teams most interested in him. Considering he came from the Tampa Bay Rays organization and their track record with relievers, it may not be a bad option to kick the tires and see what he is all about and what type of deal he would be willing to take. Stephenson is 30 years old and will be 31 next season, which means he is now on the wrong side of 30. However, don't let that turn you away from this signing, as he has the potential to be better than anyone thinks. In 42 appearances with Tampa last season, Stephenson was not only good but very consistent, as he posted a .0678 WHIP during those appearances. That means he barely walks anyone and limits any hits off of him, which is all you can ask for in a reliever. Some of you may not be familiar with Stephenson, and for those who aren't, his career trajectory hasn't been the greatest as he was a former first-round pick of the Reds only to stall out as a starter. However, as is the case, failed starters often make good relievers, and Stephenson is another one of those failed starter turned reliever projects about to get paid. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2019, Stephenson has appeared in at least 48 games in four of the last five seasons averaging close to 54 innings during that time. He has always had some command issues, which is why his ERA has been around 5.00 for much of his career, but the transformation he has made with the Rays can't go unnoticed, and it is the main reason he will get a massive payday. That is hard to believe when you look at his career performances, but this is the world we live in now and players know they can bank on having a great season heading into free agency if they want to get paid. Before arriving in Tampa, Stephenson signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where his numbers were equally as bad if not worse. 5.14 ERA, 5.33 FIP, 27.9% K, 13.1% BB, 16.7% barrel, 44.4% hard contact. You can see why the Reds didn't like him as a starter, but after his brief stint with the Buccos, some were wondering if his time in the MLB was coming to an end. Leave it to the Rays to not only give him a chance but to figure out something that no one else had and perhaps save his career in the process. After joining the Rays, Stephenson was one of the best relievers in the game, posting 2.35 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 42.9% K, 5.7% BB, 9.7% barrel, 26.4% hard contact. In other words, he became a monster with the Rays and started to show what made him a first-round pick in the first place. Many things went into the drastic transformation, but the most significant thing was the change in his pitch arsenal and the development of a cutter. What was once an OK slider, Stephenson morphed that pitch into a cutter, and it is now one of the best cutters in the game. That alone has the attention of the Cubs and several other teams, as they want to get their hands on him to see what that pitch can do. For pitchers with at least 20 innings since July 1st, Robert Stephenson, by far, had the best K-BB rate at 39.7% (7.1% ahead of 2nd). The cutter was the main reason why and it is the reason why teams are going to pay much more than he would've initially been worth. That cutter, which he threw at about 88-89 mph, netted Stephenson an almost unthinkable 59.9% whiff rate. It is hard to fathom that pitch is generating that high of a whiff rate again, but even at 40% percent, that is the definition of an out pitch and something the Cubs pen has lacked.
