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Chicago Cubs have no choice but to add to their bullpen
If you’re worried about the Chicago Cubs making moves to improve the pen this winter, things will only get worse if they wait till next year’s free agent class.
As things currently stand, four members of the Chicago Cubs bullpen could be free agents after the 2019 season. We have also been spoiled by deep free agent relief markets each of the last two offseasons. However, that will not be the case when the 2019 World Series is in the rearview mirror.
To avoid his last year of arbitration Pedro Strop signed a one-year contract before the 2018 season with a club option for 2019. The Cubs have already picked up said option. But that means that after this coming season, Strop could be a free agent for the first time in his career. Strop has arguably been one of the best setup men the Cubs have ever had. Last year, he even filled in as the closer and excelled at that too.
Steve Cishek signed a two-year deal with the Cubs last offseason. So he too could be a free agent after this coming year. Last year, Cishek pitched incredibly well for the Cubs (2.18 ERA, team-high 80 appearances). However, as other parts of the bullpen struggled, Cishek was over-used.
His second-half ERA (2.63) was almost a half run higher than in the first half of his season (1.88). And Cishek’s strikeout-to-walk ratio was much worse in September and October (1.50) than it was for the whole year (2.79).
Chicago Cubs: What will these guys offer moving forward?
The contract Brandon Morrow signed with the Cubs last year is a two-year deal with a vesting option for a third or a $3 million dollar buyout. It’s possible that between the time he missed due to injury last year and the time he is expected to miss at the beginning of this season as he finishes recovering from injury, it would be increasingly difficult for the vesting option to trigger.
So Morrow could, potentially, be a free agent after this season. When the right-handed fireballer was healthy, he was dominant great for the Cubs. He had 22 saves and a 1.47 ERA in only 35 appearances for the North Siders. But his health is one of many questions for the Cubs bullpen.
Brian Duensing was one of the best parts of the Chicago Cubs bullpen in 2017. So when he re-signed for two years with the Cubs and took less money to do so, it was a pleasant surprise. But Duensing’s 2018 season as a whole was a disaster (7.65 ERA) despite beginning the year without giving up a run in his first 17 appearances.
No matter what you think of Brandon Kintzler he is currently a member of the Chicago Cubs. Coming into this offseason, his contract had a team option for $10 million and if that was exercised then he had a player option for $5 million. The Cubs declined their team option on Kintzler, but he used the $5 million player option.
Kintzler’s salary may be one of the contracts the Cubs are trying to move before attempting to sign Bryce Harper. But if Kintzler remains a Cub, he could follow Justin Wilson‘s scenario. Wilson was terrible after first being traded to the Cubs, but then he had a nice bounceback season in his first full year with the team. Kintzler was not nearly as good with Cubs (7.00 ERA) as he was with the Nationals (3.59 ERA) pre-trade.
Chicago Cubs: Looking ahead to next winter’s class
Now, the Chicago Cubs could re-sign some of their potential free agent relief pitchers. But retaining that many free agent relievers all in one offseason is a tall order.
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Remember how we were panicked for years ahead of time when three-fifths of the starting rotation (Jake Arrieta, John Lackey and Jason Hammel) were all due to be free agents at the same time after the 2017 season?
After the 2019 campaign, there aren’t a lot of great relievers who are expected to be free agents. Dellin Betances, Jeremy Jeffress and Addison Reed seem likely to be the best available outside of the Cubs relievers we mentioned above. Former Cubs Hector Rondon, Joe Smith and Arodys Vizcaino will also be free agents.
Kenley Jansen could opt out of remaining two years and $38 million of his contract. But after the heart issues he experienced this year, I doubt he will opt out of his deal.
The Cubs may regret missing out on Zach Britton and Andrew Miller this offseason because there are almost no left-handed relievers available next year. MLBTradeRumors only lists seven left-handed relievers for the next winter. Two of those have club options and one has a player option.
Chicago Cubs: Where reinforcements could come from
The Cubs pitching staff may finally get some reinforcements from their minor league system. Duane Underwood Jr., Alec Mills, Jen-Ho Tseng and Dillon Maples all pitched for the Cubs last season. Adbert Alzolay is the Cubs top pitching prospect.
Allen Webster is former prospect and high draft pick the Cubs are trying to resurrect. There could even be a surprise breakout pitcher who comes out of no where in the next couple of seasons.
As we’ve seen in recent years, Theo Epstein might make his moves mid-season. But to trade for something you have to have something to trade away that other teams want. MLB Pipeline just ranked the Cubs as having the worst minor system in the NL Central based on each team’s top 5 prospects.
Jed Hoyer said that they were going to be talking to other GMs about trades earlier this offseason. The only trade the Cubs have made so far this winter was to trade away Tommy La Stella.
Next. . dark
There are some things about this offseason that won’t be available next time around. Even though there are talented hitters becoming available in upcoming offseasons, there isn’t anyone like Harper and Manny Machado next year.
But don’t over look that next offseason won’t have anywhere near the relief pitching options that this year had. And now that Britton signed with the Yankees that relief market is getting smaller.