Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season

If the Cubs want to win in 2023, they’ll need to assemble a quality bullpen mix.

Slowly but surely, the Chicago Cubs have started to clear up the roster for the start of next season. The rotation looks promising if the front office can add an extra big-time veteran, the lineup has plenty of players that will stick around, and the youth movement is looking good.

The only real question heading into the final month of this season is the bullpen beyond 2022. After, once again, trading the best relief arms they had, the Cubs are left with virtually nothing heading into 2023.

Now the goal becomes finding the best possible bullpen mix. There are three ways to do that: build from the minor leagues, sign free agents and trust some returning arms. With the veterans, their struggles this season make that a challenge. However, moving them into lower-leverage situations should build confidence, and putting better pieces around them will only make their jobs easier.

If I was in charge of building that bullpen, my first choice would be to look at the farm system and build the rotation out first. Assuming the rotation adds an ace, the Cubs can slide Adrian Sampson or Keegan Thompson back to the bullpen and have a very nice weapon to work with.

Cubs: Who are some minor league candidates to make the leap?

The Cubs have made it a point to add pitching to the farm system and that group has really shown promise over the past few months. Caleb Kilian made his MLB debut earlier this season but really struggled with command.

With so many fresh faces in the mix down in the minor leagues, Kilian makes a strong candidate to get a look out of the bullpen in 2023. It may not be where he ends up down the road but it could give him a chance to start the season in the show and develop his craft a bit.

Ben Brown, the return in the David Robertson trade at the deadline, is another young arm that can be a force out of the bullpen. I would not be surprised if he works his way up to the major league roster by the end of camp next spring.

Two exciting arms in the system that could be surprises at the start of next season are Luke Little and Luis Devers. Both are currently in High-A ball but have some nasty stuff that would play well out of the pen.

Little stands at 6’8″ with an overpowering heater which makes him a very enticing prospect. He can reach triple digits on the radar gun while consistently sitting around 97 mph. Devers has a nasty changeup that has propelled him to an unreal start to his High-A career.

Devers has a 0.57 ERA in 31 2/3 innings with South Bend and is striking out batters at a ridiculous clip. He could get a promotion to Double-A before the season ends and get an invite to spring training next season.

Codi Heuer, a prospect the Cubs got back for Craig Kimbrel last season, might make the bullpen later in the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. However, it seems more likely that he will be ready to really play a role again in 2024.

Cubs: Which free agents should the front office target?

The free agent bullpen market is always filled with talent. Relievers are such streaky players that it is possible to strike gold and get a formidable bullpen without breaking the bank which the Cubs have done a good job of lately.

Despite trading Scott Effross, the Cubs are still looking to add pitchers with big sweeping sliders and funky arm slots, which has been apparent throughout their development of the farm system.

Players that fit that mold in free agency include Taylor Rogers, Brad Hand and Corey Knebel. All of them are veterans that have had success in the big leagues and would be candidates to close for the Cubs if brought on board. If they want to spend big, these would be the targets to really keep an eye on.

Some older veterans worth a look include Sean Doolittle, Steve Cishek, Anthony Bass and Rafael Montero. We watched the Cubs add a lot of veteran relievers this season and flip them at the deadline. If they struggle early next season, the same process could take place as they continue to improve the farm system.

With so many free agents out there in the reliever market, it is difficult to predict who – or how many – the Cubs will ultimately sign. The thing to focus on is the presence of a tremendous breaking ball or unique arm slots. That seems to be the building block for the pitching staff.