Chicago Cubs: Looking at potential acquisitions to bolster the bullpen

Ready to begin what seems likely to be a rather unpredictable offseason, the Chicago Cubs should focus their attention on improving the bullpen.

The Chicago Cubs offseason has just begun, and it has been anything but predictable. With the hiring of former catcher David Ross as skipper and the amount of impending free agents on the squad, it’s hard to conjure what should be expected of the team this winter. Though there are many issues that the front office needs to address, one of the most crucial is the need to bolster the bullpen.

This time last year, we knew the bullpen had the potential to be a question mark for the 2019 club. But, we figured the front office would make their moves and pull the right levers to reshape it into something more acceptable. That never really played out to the extent we’d all have liked, due to financial limitations that kept offseason additions to a minimum last winter.

The Chicago Cubs bullpen performed decently well, ranking eighth in ERA this year – but struggling immensely in high-leverage spots. Craig Kimbrel struggled in his first go-round with the club but will probably be the team’s closer for the foreseeable future regardless. But, putting Kimbrel aside,  many of the key pieces of the pen are set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason. Among the bullpen arms hitting free agency are Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler and Pedro Strop.

Chicago Cubs: Proven veterans anchored the bullpen (mostly)

Cishek and Kintzler both has solid seasons and bringing both of them back for the 2020 season would be an ideal endeavor. However, since Cishek and Kintzler are both in their mid-30s and would probably cost near $10 million annually for two or three years, bringing both of them back seems like a stretch for the front office.

Cishek, 33, pitched in 70 games this season, working to a 2.95 ERA, but slightly less ideal 4.54 FIP. That marks two-straight campaigns where his ERA has outperformed his FIP by a wide margin. Kintzler, 35, pitched in 62 games this season, turning in a 2.68 ERA in a nice bounceback campaign. 

Meanwhile, Strop, who has already expressed that he wants to come back to the North Side of Chicago in 2020, made 50 plate appearances, going 2-5 with an uncharacteristic 4.97 ERA. Strop was injured for a portion of the 2019 season and endured one of the worst seasons of his career.

In the end, the 34-year-old did end the season strong and could be brought back on a fairly cheap deal. Besides looking internally, the Cubs should be looking toward free agents on the market and within their farm system.

Chicago Cubs: Underwood and Hultzen are internal options

A more efficient way for the Chicago Cubs to bolster the bullpen would be to look within to their own farm system. Though they might be overlooked, the farm system has some reasonable relief options, including Duane Underwood Jr., and Danny Hultzen.

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During his time with Triple-A Iowa, Underwood has made 33 appearances (10 starts) with a 5.07 ERA. Granted, those aren’t ideal numbers for a guy vying for a big league roster spot. But more notably, he pitched 81 2/3 innings and accumulated 95 strikeouts. Though he is currently within the farm, Underwood has spent a short amount of time in the majors.

During his time in the big leagues, Underwood made a dozen appearances. In that fairly small body of work, he managed a 4.24 FIP – a number that was hurt, undoubtedly by the 10 hits per nine he allowed. Though the right hander’s numbers aren’t stellar, he is only 25 and has room to improve. If given a chance with the Cubs, he could make the most of it and be a successful reliever.

Hultzen, 29, has performed well during his time with Triple-A Iowa. During his time there, the former first-rounder turned in a sterling 1.26 ERA. Notably, the big left-hander accumulated three saves and 23 strikeouts. During his brief stint with the big league club, Hultzen made six appearances, pitching 3 1/3 innings, giving up 4 hits and striking out five. Hultzen’s Triple-A performance in 2019 makes a case for his possible move to the majors and if brought up, this guy could be a valuable arm.

Whether the Cubs decide to look internally to re-sign their current arms or to the farm, there are many ways that the bullpen could be improved. Building around Kimbrel, the Cubs should evaluate all outlets, including those entering free agency when it comes to kicking things up a notch.