Cubs offseason priority is obvious—and this insider just confirmed it

The Chicago Cubs' loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS confirmed that the team's offense may still be broken, but the Cubs have an issue when it comes to power pitching. The Cubs' hitters looked outmatched when facing pitchers capable of throwing 100 mph in their sleep, but most importantly, the Cubs' pitching staff lacks velocity. Sure, Daniel Palencia is the first pitcher who comes to mind, but he is the exception to how the staff was constructed.

As the Cubs start their offseason, the front office may have already leaked their plans to aggressively upgrade their pitching staff this winter. During an interview on 670 The Score on Monday morning, MLB insider Bruce Levine took it a step further to address what type of pitcher the Cubs will be prioritizing this offseason.

Cubs insider’s take on offseason plans has fans asking ‘you think?’

The common flaw the Cubs have had since their World Series run in 2016 is that they haven't respected velocity. It would seem that the Cubs' internal models suggest that if you find the right pitcher, you can find overall success. To the Cubs' credit, it hasn't been wrong as they have rolled out respectable pitching staffs in recent seasons.

The issue is that respectable can only get the Cubs so far in October. The Cubs were nearly beaten by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card round because the Padres' bullpen had nothing but flamethrowers that could silence the Cubs' hitters, and their luck ran out against the Brewers in the NLDS.

Complicating matters even further for the Cubs is that, as Levine pointed out, a majority of their 2025 bullpen is without a contract next season. Sure, there likely will be interest in bringing back Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar, but the Cubs need to take a page out of the Brewers' blueprint and value velocity when it comes to their pitching staff.

There is a little bit of déjà vu when it comes to this discussion, considering the Cubs have been aware that their pitching staff lacks velocity for several years now. Losing to the Brewers should be an awakening for the Cubs' front office, but it hasn't been since 2018, so it's hard to anticipate there will be drastic changes to their approach this offseason.