Non-tendered closer is undoubtedly on the Cubs' radar as they build out a bullpen

Despite a changing of the guard in 2020 and a managerial change last winter, the Chicago Cubs continue to stick to their guns in their annual assembly of a bullpen mix. One-year deals on bounceback candidates and arms that have fallen out of favor regularly make up the bulk of the group the team brings to camp and that figures to be the case again in 2025.

We've seen the Cubs add a few new faces already, singing Phil Bickford and Brooks Kriske, trading for Eli Morgan from the Guardians and bringing back old friend Rob Zastryzny via a waiver claim. They're far from done - and a recent non-tender of the Washington Nationals could be top target.

Veteran right-hander Kyle Finnegan piled up 66 saves over the last two years in D.C., but faded badly down the stretch last season - prompting the Nationals to cut him loose rather than pay a projected arbitration salary in the $8 million range. He fits a similar mold to former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romero, who was also non-tendered last month, and could be on Chicago's radar as they look to stabilize the bullpen without locking into lengthy, high-dollar deals.

Finnegan leans heavily on a high-powered fastball that averages north of 97 MPH and an ability to keep the ball on the ground at an above-average rate. He throws that pitch two-thirds of the time, mixing in a splitter and a slider to round out his arsenal. That slider is rarely utilized, but when he threw it in 2024, he found a ton of success. If the Cubs picked up Finnegan, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tommy Hottovy look to tap into that pitch a bit more.

At 34 years old and with some troubling peripherals, the market for the veteran shouldn't be too outlandish and the Cubs, given their track record helping guys of this mold turn things around, could be an attractive landing spot for Finnegan - who may be looking to make a statement after being non-tendered by Washington this offseason.