3 relievers the Chicago Cubs could target without breaking the bank

2. A.J. Minter

A particularly massive criticism that can be levied at the Cubs' 2024 bullpen is that they lacked a lefty for much of the season. Luke Little appeared to be making strides as a big-league-caliber reliever, but a left lat strain cut his campaign short. Leiter Jr., who functioned as their lefty out-getter thanks to his reverse splits, was also traded at the deadline for Jack Neilly and Ben Cowles. Whether Little bounces back or not, there has to be a concerted effort from the team to address their lack of answers from the left side.

Caleb Ferguson would be one fine option coming off a middling year, but A.J. Minter stands out for the upside. The Braves reliever has had plenty of success over the years in Atlanta, pitching to a career 3.28 ERA and 2.89 FIP. By results, 2024 was more of the same, with a 2.62 ERA in a more limited 34 1/3 innings and a lesser but still solid 26.1% strikeout rate. Though he's better utilized as a setup man, he does also have some experience as a closer if needed and has boasted a fastball around 96 mph for most of his tenure.

What will ultimately keep Minter's price lower comes down to injuries. A left hip impingement sidelined him for most of the year and eventually required surgery to repair. Whether it's related to the injury or not, his average fastball velocity also dipped to 94.8 mph, the lowest mark of his entire career. There's always going to be a concern over whether he'll be able to recapture his form even from as recent as 2023 or 2022. For a Cubs team that doesn't seem willing to approach the top of the relief market, shouldering that risk might be worth it for a guy with a history of sustained success on a contending team.

3. José Leclerc

Many of the best bullpens in baseball, like Cleveland, Atlanta, and San Diego, also post some of the best strikeout rates. It's always possible to thrive without swing-and-miss stuff, but the Cubs must continue to add swing-and-miss type pitchers to ensure they can take randomness and fielding mistakes out of the equation when a game is on the line. One of the more intriguing options that will offer that skillset at a lower price will be Rangers righty José Leclerc.

Leclerc has enjoyed a run in Texas that has been a bit rocky, though never really disastrous in any season. He boasts an ERA of 3.27 for his career and a 3.44 FIP with no individual campaigns sporting an ERA north of 4.50. On paper, 2024 seemed like one of his worst seasons with a 4.37 ERA, but expected stats tell a different story. Ranking among the top four percent of pitchers in whiff rate and hard-hit percentage, his xERA came out to a much more favorable 3.57 with a 3.17 FIP that stands as his third-best season.

There are concerns to be had with his walk rate, of course. Leclerc has never been great at limiting free passes and 2024 was no exception as he ranked in the 14th percentile with an 11.1% walk rate. That's never a great sign for a pitcher, but it hasn't yet stopped the hard-throwing righty from finding consistent success. 2023 was likely his shining moment, too, when he stepped up in a major way for the Rangers by becoming the first player in MLB postseason history to close his club's first seven games. He pitched a total of 13.2 innings with a 3.29 ERA for Texas when the lights shone brightest, playing a vital role in their first World Series win.

For the Cubs, Leclerc's highs could be worth the risk of experiencing his lows. Though not without flaws and a history of Tommy John surgery in 2021, he's still found relatively consistent success in relief, something this team needs to compete in 2025. It ultimately doesn't matter who they bring in this offseason though. In the end, they just have to be right in their evaluation.