Cubs' decision to move on from this reliever looks worse by the day

When the Chicago Cubs cut ties with Jeremiah Estrada it didn’t seem like a major loss at the time. But his continued success with the San Diego Padres makes the decision look more questionable by the day.

Estrada was named in a recent list from The Athletic, where he was named the Padres' most indispensable under-the-radar player. After a breakout season in 2024, Estrada has built on his success this year with a 3.19 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 59 1/3 innings pitched this year. In a bullpen full of talented All-Stars like Mason Miller, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez, it's easy to overlook Estrada. But he is a lethal weapon for the Friars and a reliable strikeout machine that the Cubs definitely regret letting go.

The Cubs released Estrada after the 2023 campaign, where the young reliever failed to make a significant impact for the Cubs at the big league level. The team cut him loose that winter, and he has excelled for the Padres ever since and developed a slight disdain for the Cubs. Estrada has used his 98 mph fastball and elite slider to collect 42 holds for the Padres, and 199 career strikeouts through his first 141 career games.

The Cubs bullpen is solid, but thin, with October looming on deck

Needless to say, Estrada would be useful for the Cubs in 2025, or any competitive team for that matter. Daniel Palencia and Brad Keller are the most utilized late-inning options for manager Craig Counsell, but things would get ugly if one of them gets hurt. Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers would have to be used in more high-leverage spots, but neither of them have the typical makeup of a closer.

Ryan Brasier recently hit the injured list, leaving the other effective relievers being the lefties Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar. Both are having fine seasons in Chicago, but they again do not fit the bill of a high-velocity, shutdown closer like Palencia or Estrada.

Having a guy like Estrada as ninth-inning depth would go a long way in settling those pesky fears. For the sake of the Cubs making a deep playoff run, Palencia needs to stay healthy and continue dominating because there really isn't anybody else who can pitch like him in the Cubs' reach right now.