Jed Hoyer would lose his mind with latest Cubs' free agent prediction

Paying for bullpen help has never been a trait of Jed Hoyer since taking over as the Chicago Cubs' President of Baseball operations, and that isn't going to change this offseason.

While the Cubs have had stretches of instability in their bullpen during each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons that derailed their hopes for postseason contention, Hoyer is not the type that is going to suddenly change one of his core principles.

With the Winter Meetings starting, Jim Bowden offered a free-agent fit for each Major League team and his choice for the Cubs makes sense in theory but isn't something that Hoyer will have in the cards this offseason.

For the Cubs, Bowden connects them to relief pitcher Carlos Estévez. Estévez totaled 26 saves last season while splitting time between the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. At 31 years old, fresh off a 2.45 ERA season, Estévez is at the high-end of relief pitchers available in free agency this winter. Along those lines, the contract that Bowden projects in connecting the Cubs to the veteran closer is for 3 years worth $3MM.

There is a comedic undertone to Bowden suggesting the Cubs would be willing to pay over $30MM for a veteran reliever in his 30 during a time when the team is believed to be looking to free up money by trading Cody Bellinger, who is set to earn $27.5MM next season. Of course, messaging around the Bellinger trade would suggest that the Cubs will be using the money saved by trading Bellinger on improvements to the Major League roster this season.

Still, that improvement being Estévez likely isn't the direction the Cubs will head in once Bellinger is traded and nor should they.

The Cubs took a step toward stabilizing their bullpen last month with the trade of Eli Morgan. Beyond that, there are a handful of veterans, including David Robertson, that the Cubs could target this offseason without the need to spend a premium on bullpen help.