3 non-tendered relief pitchers the Chicago Cubs must target in free agency

3. RHP Austin Voth

32-year-old Austin Voth was a main component of the Seattle Mariners' bullpen in 2024. Voth struck out 61 hitters over 68 appearances with a 3.69 ERA and a WHIP of 1.05. Voth also collected 15 holds and only walked 7.3% of the batters he faced in what ended up being a career year.

With a season like that, it's a bit shocking that Seattle did not give Voth a contract for 2025. He is projected to make about $2.2 million, which is still very affordable for the amount of value he provided the Mariners. Seattle Times writer Adam Jude reported that the team is facing a very tight financial situation this offseason, so Voth's contract proved to be an area where they could cut payroll.

But the Cubs do not have these same restrictions right now and they could use a steady reliever like Voth to provide more structure. The Cubs have also had recent success poaching relievers from Seattle. The Cubs traded for Tyson Miller in May, and he pitched lights out for Chicago over a 50-inning stretch.

Voth is another guy who doesn't light up the radar gun (93.6 mph fastball average), but his advanced metrics were excellent in 2024. Voth did not allow a lot of hard contact and induced elite swing and miss numbers. One concern is that 2024 was the first time Voth was consistent over a full season in the Majors so there is some risk involved with the 32-year-old.