Cubs could take a chance on a veteran reliever the Athletics just jettisoned

Sticking with the theme of leaving no stone untturned and simply surviving another week, I can't help but wonder if the Chicago Cubs' latest effort to bolster an injury-riddled pitching staff might come in the form of right-hander Michael Kelly, who was released by the Athletics earlier this week.

A quick glance at his numbers this year and you're probably yelling at me through your screen. A 16.20 ERA to go along with nine earned runs on 12 hits in five innings of work. The results haven't been there (to put things mildly) and, based on that information alone, you probably aren't sold that Kelly is someone Jed Hoyer should even bother to do his homework on.

But when you look back to his body of work over the last two seasons, there's reason to believe he may be able to contribute as the Cubs look to work back to full strength in the second half. He's been very good at limiting barrels and hard contact since the start of the 2024 campaign and posted a 2.92 ERA across 70 appearances from 2024-25.

Now, do I think Kelly is an answer to Chicago's late-inning, shutdown reliever question? Absolutely not. But he fits the mold of recent additions like Jake Woodford and the since-DFAd Bryse Wilson - guys who, at least for a short burst, might be able to provide some value to Craig Counsell's bullpen.

Cubs' bullpen has some bright spots - but needs help to survive

Without Daniel Palencia waiting to slam the door in the ninth inning, the Cubs' bullpen mix leaves something to be desired in terms of lockdown solutions. I, for one, would not want to head into a potential postseason series with the current group of arms as my only options.

But if these recent stopgap signings - and potential future ones like Kelly - can buy Hoyer some time to add established weapons to the mix, pairing the newcomers with guys like Jacob Webb, Ryan Rolison and Trent Thornton could give the Cubs enough to be dangerous come October.

Oh, but that also assumes Hoyer makes at least one big addition to the rotation before the trade deadline, too. One thing's for sure: we're in for a very interesting few weeks.

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