Cubs’ Failure to Address Bullpen Issues Yielding Predictably Inconsistent Results

Friday’s offensive explosion covered up another rough performance from the Cubs’ bullpen. On the other side of their 13 runs scored were 11 runs allowed, 10 of which came courtesy of the bullpen. Porter Hodge and Jordan Wicks combined to allow nine runs, with Wicks giving up three hits and lasting only five pitches during his season debut. Hodge had only allowed two runs in nine innings to begin the year, but Arizona’s offense touched him up for six earned.

Hodge has been fantastic up until this game, with his recent track record mitigating any doubts regarding his future performance. Wicks should likewise be much better, and this was just one game, but the relief corps as a whole has left a whole lot to be desired. Entering Sunday’s series finale against the Diamondbacks, the bullpen’s 5.58 ERA and 18.0% strikeout rate are both second-worst in MLB. Their 12.3% walk rate is fifth-worst and they’ve blown a league-high five saves.

While things can change in a hurry over the rest of the season, the ‘pen is trending toward a much worse aggregate performance than last year’s unit. That group was led by the key offseason acquisition of former Astros reliever Héctor Neris, who earned the nickname “Heart Attack Hector” due to repeated stressful outings that resulted in several blown saves. Every game felt closer than it really was, with the pitching staff blowing 26 saves overall and creating countless more close calls.

Going into the offseason, Jed Hoyer admitted that addressing the bullpen would be the top priority in terms of upgrading the roster. There were even reports that the Cubs might finally be willing to offer multi-year contracts, which they did, but they still were not willing to pay market rates for top relievers. Carlos Estévez and Kirby Yates were among several possibilities, with two others standing out as the front office scoured the free agent market: Tanner Scott and Ryne Stanek. 

Scott was by far the best reliever available, coming off a season in which he recorded a career high 22 saves with a 1.75 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 72.0 innings. The lefty saw a drastic improvement in his performance following the 2022 season, when a visit to Tread Athletics changing everything. In an interview with MLB Network, Scott specifically mentioned his fantastic relationship with Tyler Zombro, a performance specialist who joined the Cubs this winter.

Tanner Scott discussing the turning point in his career.@T_Zombro24 pic.twitter.com/AVJdUUPcli

— Ben Brewster (@TreadAthletics) January 24, 2025

After Zombro was hired, several former Tread athletes signed with the Cubs. Thanks to this connection, along with the fantastic history that surrounds Wrigley Field and playing in Chicago, the Cubs were Scott’s preferred destination as well. After the Dodgers offered Scott’s camp four years, the Cubs had plenty of time to match the offer and bring one of the league’s best closers to Chicago. By the time they finally upped their offer to four years, it was too late. The hesitation to add that extra year was a serious blunder by the front office, leaving fans wondering whether the bullpen would once again be a point of concern.

Scott’s deal with Los Angeles included a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million in deferrals. Hoyer has not previously been comfortable offering either that kind of duration or overall guarantee for a reliever, and chairman Tom Ricketts has been unwilling to use deferrals as a way to juice the team’s offers. Until ownership is willing to operate under the same parameters as other big-market teams, the Cubs are going to have trouble signing top talent.

And make no mistake, Scott is the kind of difference-making pitcher who can reshape a bullpen. After a slow start that saw him allow three runs with a blown save in his first four outings, Scott has pitched seven scoreless innings with six saves over his last seven appearances. Even better, he hasn’t walked a single batter this season.

Hoyer had conversations with Stanek as well, but the hard-throwing reliever ended up signing a one-year deal with the Mets. He’ll earn $4.5 million throughout the 2025 season, a bargain for someone of his stature. This begs the question of why the Cubs didn’t pay up and sign the former Astros reliever when they clearly have an affinity for Houston alums. They signed Neris last year and swung a trade for closer Ryan Pressly, then there was one other big deal with Astros GM Dana Brown for a big name who isn’t a reliever.

Instead of signing Stanek to solidify the bullpen, Hoyer and the front office opted to save that money for their fruitless pursuit of Alex Bregman. While the Cubs offered Bregman a reasonable contract, he signed with the Red Sox for a deal with a $40 million average annual value. Going after Bregman was a smart move, and one that has been a hot topic following Matt Shaw‘s demotion. It never should have been an either/or situation, as signing both Stanek and Bregman should have been realistic given the Cubs’ financial might. Instead, they have neither.

Failing — or choosing not to — reallocate Cody Bellinger‘s salary just adds to the building frustration. The Cubs are only paying three relievers $2 million or more this season: Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, and Caleb Thielbar. The Cubs aren’t even on the hook for the full amount on either Pressly or Brasier, as both have some of their salaries paid by their former teams (Brasier $1.7M, Pressly $5.5M). Pressly has been better lately, but he still has more walks (6) than strikeouts (4), while Brasier has yet to return to action after being placed on the IL at the end of March with a left groin strain.

The situation once again comes down to payroll, as it often does for this organization. Only seven teams have less money invested in their bullpen for the 2025 season: the Marlins, Brewers, Pirates, Rockies, Giants, Mariners, and White Sox. The Cubs’ massive revenue should separate them from these teams, but they continue to be okay with sitting in the middle of the pack when it comes to payroll rankings.

That looks even worse when considering the Cubs are only spending 36.4% of last year’s revenue on this year’s payroll. The only teams with lower ratios are the Pirates, Rays, White Sox, and Marlins. The CI staff discussed that during an episode of The Rant Podcast, to which many commenters responded that it’s smart business because the Cubs are still in first place. But the goal isn’t just to lead the division in mid-April, it’s to have a team that can compete for a World Series.

Craig Counsell‘s offense has scored the most runs in baseball, showing they can compete against elite pitching. Now the Cubs need to show they can more consistently stifle elite offenses with their own pitching, something Scott could certainly have helped with. Spending more money on the bullpen in the offseason would have addressed the problem, but now Hoyer will have to look to the trade market to improve his pitching staff.

Or he can just cross his fingers and hope really hard.