Cubs could steal Dodgers free agent to avoid a costly Ryan Rolison gamble

The Chicago Cubs had success stories on the pitching side of their roster in 2026, and one of them was left-handed relief pitcher Ryan Rolison. Rolison was among the number of minor-league gambles the Cubs made last offseason, and after the struggles of Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar, emerged as the best left-handed option out of the bullpen for Craig Counsell.

Rolison posted an ERA of 3.14 across 60 appearances for the Cubs this year, striking out over 21% of the hitters he faced. This offseason marks his first year of arbitration, and the Cubs retain his rights through the 2029 season.

Rolison is going to be back in the bullpen in 2027, but the Cubs would wise to add a more established southpaw in the bullpen. In a perfect world, Rolison continues the ascension that started this season, and once again is an effective option for the bullpen next year. Reality often tells a different story for relief pitchers.

There's likely going to be some regression for Rolison next year, considering his xERA this year was 4.03 and xFIP was 4.24. Expected numbers are far from a catch-all, considering it ignores the actual numbers, but they can be a tell for when a pitcher may not be as good as it seems.

Alex Vesia should be an under-the-radar target for the Cubs this offseason

Perhaps the Cubs turn to a pending Dodgers' free agent to address their left-handed need in the bullpen. Vesia represents the one thing the Cubs have often lacked in the bullpen over the past few years, a relief pitcher capable of missing bats frequently. He has a career strikeout rate of 32.4%, and while he doesn't keep the ball on the ground as frequently as the Cubs would prefer, there's no denying that he's one of the best strikeout relief pitchers in all of baseball.

Vesia would also be a move away from the type of left-handed pitcher the Cubs have preferred. Thielbar was a strikeout pitcher in 2026, but he also was prone to giving up home runs. In 2026, Vesia's home runs allowed per nine innings pitched was 0.62. He also doesn't depend on a quirky deliver to get his results, and that should make him an immediate upgrade over what the Cubs had from Milner before they released him in September.

While Adrian Morejon is certainly the more appealing name, and someone the Cubs should be interested in, Vesia could be the more realistic target, considering just how many moves will be needed to address the pitching staff.

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