Questionable Chicago Cubs offseason strategy is here to stay

The approach that has been most questioned of Jed Hoyer's roster construction since taking over as President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs has been the bullpen.

For the 2021 and 2022 seasons, there wasn't much to criticize Hoyer on. The Cubs were in a rebuild and Hoyer made great practice of signing veteran reclamation projects for the Bullpen and turning them into top prospects being acquired at the Trade Deadline.

Even in 2023, it's fair to wonder how motivated Hoyer was to add to the bullpen. For as exciting as the Cubs' second-half run was during the 2023 season, the fact remains that Hoyer, if pressed, likely would have said there was no intention at the beginning of the season for the Cubs to be a contender.

That wasn't the case last offseason. The Cubs' intention was to enter the 2024 season with the intention of contending for a postseason spot. Still, Hoyer was not overly motivated to add to the bullpen despite the creative deal with Hector Neris near the end of the offseason.

The Neris experiment failed for the Cubs. Combining that with injuries to Adbert Alzolay and Julian Merryweather at the start of the offseason, it's no wonder why the bullpen was disastrous to open the season.

Fortunately for the Cubs, Porter Hodge's ascension, along with the in-season additions of Jorge Lopez and Tyson Miller, has stabilized the bullpen. So much so that Hoyer and the Cubs' front office continue to feel validated with their approach. In their latest for The Athletic (Subscription Required), Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney suggest that the Cubs will not deviate from the bullpen strategy they had last offseason.

Cubs won't reverse course with bullpen strategy.

There's danger in constantly expecting the front office and, now, Craig Counsell to consistently work in the offseason to turn the bullpen around. While the Cubs have proven they can do it, they've also proven that a poor two-month stretch from the bullpen will derail the team's postseason hopes.

If nothing else, the Cubs may want to prioritize bringing Lopez back. While the bringing back of Lopez won't guarantee that the Cubs bullpen will be stable at the start of the 2025 season, one where they have to contend, the veteran has a 0.79 ERA since making his first appearance in a Cubs' uniform. With Alzolay recovering from Tommy John surgery and Mark Leiter Jr. no longer here, Lopez would be a valuable piece to bring back.