Former Cubs closer released by the Mets, but Jed Hoyer should steer clear of him

The vibes are back in Wrigleyville. Although they haven't gained ground on the rival Brewers, the Chicago Cubs haven't lost ground, either, playing extremely well of late, thanks to an offense led by the unlikeliest of heroes in shortstop Dansby Swanson.

That being said, there are still major concerns with this team - namely a pitching staff that's riddled with injuries, forcing manager Craig Counsell to piece things together on a nightly basis. So, when I saw the New York Mets just released former Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay, I wondered if a reunion might make sense.

Then I dug in a little more and quickly discovered it wouldn't be much of a short-term solution at all.

Alzolay is quite a ways removed from his breakout 2023 season in Chicago, when he notched a career-high 22 saves and posted a 2.67 ERA across 64 innings of work. He wasn't anywhere near that pitched in 2024, eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery late that summer. The Mets signed him to a two-year minor-league pact after the Cubs non-tendered him - but got little return on their investment.

Adbert Alzolay isn't an answer for teams in need of bullpen help

Alzolay missed the entire 2025 season and returned to action this year, but looked like a shell of his former self. The strikeout numbers weren't there, nor was the velocity, as he sat in the low-90s on his four-seamer with the Mets' Triple-A club. Without the velo or swing-and-miss, there's no reason to think he could step into a big-league bullpen anytime soon and have success.

He fits the mold for the type of pitcher Jed Hoyer and the front office are looking at right now as they bide their time until the trade deadline, but all the numbers suggest, at this point, Alzolay is little more than a long-term reclamation project. Maybe the Cubs look at bringing him back into the fold, but it's unlikely he'd be viewed as an answer to the teams' pitching problems this year.

This is a nice reminder. Just because there's familiarity with a pitcher doesn't mean getting back together is the answer.

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