Even the desperate Cubs have to avoid this former reliever just cut loose by the Mets

The Chicago Cubs are in the worst place they've been all season, mired in a seven-game losing streak that has knocked them out of the top spot in the NL Central. The offense is a mostly responsible for this stretch -- they've scored 18 runs total, good for just 2.57 per game -- butthe pitching staff has also been a mess.

The bullpen, in particular, has been crushed by injuries. Porter Hodge is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while Hunter Harvey and Riley Martin have both been on the shelf since April due to their own respective arm injuries.

Hence the 'help wanted' sign outside of Wrigley Field right now. Especially with Phil Maton pitching his way into "unplayable" territory, it would behoove the Cubs to try and add a reliever or two in the coming months.

But that doesn't mean they have to get completely desperate. A reunion with Craig Kimbrel, for instance, would be a terrible idea.

Cubs must find bullpen solutions that keep Craig Kimbrel out of Chicago

Kimbrel, of course, had a previous tenure with the Cubs, recording 38 saves over parts of three seasons from 2019-21. He was far removed from the peak of his powers, but he was a reliable closer for a team at the end of its competitive window.

Fast-forward to now, and he is barely hanging onto his career. He supplied the New York Mets with a disastrous 15-inning sample, recording a 6.00 ERA and -0.1 fWAR. As such, he was released, and will soon be available for anyone to sign.

There are so many obvious reasons for the Cubs to avoid this move; for one thing, he's been one of the worst pitchers in the league this year when it comes to keeping the ball on the ground, which is one of the major benefits when playing in front of North Siders' elite infield defense. Considering he's also been hit exceptionally hard this year, there's reason to fear a fly-ball pitcher in the summertime at Wrigley.

It's also true that, save for Maton, most of the team's relievers have been at least serviceable this year. No one else in active relief corps right now has an ERA over 4.00, even if they're all benefiting greatly from the gloves on the roster.

Adding Kimbrel would likely come with the prerequisite of giving him innings at the big-league level, which is just an unnecessary measure for the Cubs at the moment. The team recently claimed Christian Roa off waivers and has four more 40-man roster relievers stashed at Triple-A (Luke Little, Gavin Hollowell, Tyler Ferguson, and Luis Peralta).

The name may be the big, but the impact would be small. It's best if the team moves on and continues their search for bullpen help elsewhere.

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