The one thing that has repeatedly held the Chicago Cubs back in recent years has been their bullpen. They traded away bullpen arms year after year during their rebuild until there was nothing left. Then, when the rebuild was finally done, they really regretted it. The team lost so many games in the late innings the last few years that they just couldn’t get over the hump.
This season, with their high-powered offense giving them a chance to win every game, it is imperative that the Cubs find stability in a bullpen that has eight blown saves already this year. In the off-season, management thought that they had addressed the issue when they added former Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly and some under-the-radar arms. So far, that has not worked out. Now, it is time to decide who will close games going forward. Once that is decided, Cubs manager Craig Counsell can work backward to establish the roles to get the team from the starter to said closer.
Pressly is, of course, still a candidate. It was the reason that the Cubs acquired him. His 5.40 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and opponent OBP of .390 are bad. There is no sugar-coating it. That said, outside of the eight runs he gave up in one horrific outing against San Francisco, he has only given up three runs in his other 19 outings going into Monday’s game with the Colorado Rockies. Given that context, his numbers don’t look quite so bad.
It looked like 2024 standout Porter Hodge was going to take over the role, but then he went down with an oblique issue and is currently sitting on the IL. He, too, was the victim of one really bad outing, giving up six runs in two-thirds of an inning on April 18 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Including that debacle, he has given up runs in only four of his 21 outings. Like Pressly, his 5.12 ERA and 1.50 WHIP are not reflective of his overall performance.
For now, Daniel Palencia appears to be getting his turn at the role, and he has taken the ball and run with it. Since being called up in mid-April, he has a 1.93 ERA in 18 2/3 innings with 19 strikeouts. His fastball has hit 102 mph, and so far, his command has been much better than it was in previous years.
Off-season additions Caleb Thielbar (2.37 ERA) and Drew Pomerantz (0.00 ERA) have both looked excellent as well. As the only lefties in the bullpen, Counsell may be hesitant to constrain either to the closer role. It is nice to be able to bring in a lefty for key left-on-left matchups. Pomerantz brings the added value of being able to go more than one inning after spending much of his career as a starter.
In recent years, the Cubs have been known for their penchant for taking on reclamation projects. Pomerantz is a perfect example of that, having not pitched in the majors since 2021 due to flexor tendon surgery and a subsequent elbow clean-up procedure. So, it would not surprise anyone if the front office went after former Cubs’ closers Craig Kimbrel and David Robertson. Robertson is a free agent, and Kimbrel recently signed a minor league deal with the Braves but could be acquired without giving up much.
Will Smith, Matt Barnes, and Daniel Bard are also sitting at home awaiting a call from a team needing a closer. Smith and Barnes are ready to go, and Bard is almost recovered from a 2024 meniscus surgery and should be available soon as well.
A few weeks ago, I would have told you that Porter Hodge should be the Cubs’ closer. Since Palencia was called up from Triple-A Iowa, though, he has been a different pitcher than in seasons past. This job is Palencia’s to lose at this point. The control of his blazing heater has been excellent, and his slider has been devastating.
That said, if the Cubs see a chance to pick up a big-name closer from a team selling off at the trade deadline in July, they should go for it. They can always use another reliable arm in that bullpen. If the last few years have taught Cub fans anything, it is that it could be the difference between a playoff berth and sitting at home.
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