Two bullpen options for Cubs to consider |
It's safe to say that last week was the most exciting week for the Cubs' offseason in quite some time. Not only did they complete a massive trade that landed them Kyle Tucker, but they also signed Carson Kelly, who is realistically good enough to be the team's starting catcher. You then have all the ongoing trade talks surrounding the Cubs, and things are very exciting around the North Side.
However, at some point, the talks will die down, and when they do, it will be up to the Cubs to continue building up their roster to bring home the Central Crown in 2025. Adding Tucker is going to play a big role in that, but should the Cubs trade Cody Bellinger and/or Nico Hoerner, they are putting themselves in a position to potentially take another step back. Even if the current roster is where things sit on opening day, the day may technically be improved across the board, but unless they add to their pen, you could have more of the same early in the season. That can't happen, and if the Cubs want to avoid another catastrophic meltdown early in the year, they need to continue to look at the relief market to help solidify the pen. While adding a closer is the most important part of the pen, Jed Hoyer is willing to wait on that market as the price of closers continues to increase. That is a risky strategy, to say the least, but when you have a situation like Jorge Lopez last season, you can find good relief options at any point in the season. Apart from the closer role, the Cubs have already added Eli Morgan via the trade market and have several key pieces from last year's pen ready to build on their strong efforts in 2024. Still, this team would love to add at least one if not two, more arms, and there are some mid-tier options available should they not want to break the bank and potentially overpay for one of the top arms. The first name to look at is Jakob Junis, who is coming off a strong season with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 32-year-old right-hander broke into the league as a starter for the Kansas City Royals in 2017 and had a couple of solid seasons. His best season came in 2018 when he made 30 starts and posted a 9-12 record. His ERA, however, was right around 4.00, as he pitched well enough to keep his team in most games. Apart from that season, Junis struggled, which led to his release following the 2021 season. He latched on with the San Francisco Giants in 2022. Junis began the 2022 season as a starter before moving to the pen, which may have saved his career. 2024 is all the proof you need of that, as Junis opened the season with the Milwaukee Brewers before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Across his 24 games, Junis was used in various roles, throwing nearly 70 innings and posting a 4-0 mark with a career-best 2.69 ERA. Although his strikeout numbers dramatically increased, Junis also refused to walk hitters, walking just nine batters in his 67 innings. Every organization could use a swingman out of the pen as a spot starter, and Junis is one of those guys who can be used that way to help any team out.
Another name to consider would be right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who has quietly emerged as one of the game's better relievers over the past few seasons. The 35-year-old righty had Tommy John surgery in 2021, but he has since turned his career around and has become a valuable weapon everywhere he has gone.
In 105 appearances from 2022-24, Kahnle has a 2.44 ERA and 1.063 WHIP, with 108 strikeouts in 96 innings. All of those seasons have come with the Dodgers and Yankees, so you know he has what it takes to pitch in big games. He has done that while pitching in various roles, although he is best suited for the seventh inning.
The Cubs struggled with that at times last season, so adding Kahnle to the mix will, at the very least, shore up that part of the game for the Cubs. With both of these guys making between five and seven million last season, both are financially feasible for the Cubs on short-term deals, and both provide a lift that they didn't have last season.
