This projected free agent deal is one that the Chicago Cubs need to avoid

Weaknesses at the backend of their bullpen are a large part of the reason why the Chicago Cubs did not make the post-season in 2023.

The Cubs have never been a team to spend heavily on late-inning relievers and in recent seasons, they have had success in rehabilitating once-effective closers back into the dominant versions of themselves.

That was the goal with the Cubs' signings of Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger last season. Both Fulmer and Boxberger struggled out of the gate for the Cubs last season and while Boxberger's season was eventually lost due to injury, Fulmer was able to turn his fortunes around after May.

Fulmer is expected to miss the entire 2024 season while he recovers from elbow surgery while the Cubs likely do not have any interest in bringing Boxberger back. While Adbert Alzolay had emerged as an effective closer for the Cubs by the end of the season, his forearm strain at the end of the season led to some caution about his durability moving forward.

With that in mind, it would seem likely that the Cubs want to address the holes in the bullpen this off-season with a priority on acquiring a late-inning left-handed reliever. The top left-handed reliever on the market this winter is Josh Hader. While there is no question that Hader would address the need that the Cubs have, it is a deal that the team should avoid.

The Athletic ran down a list of Major League Baseball's Top 40 free agents (subscription required) this off-season and Hader landed at No. 8. For Hader's projected contract, The Athletic calculated that it would be a three-year deal worth $67MM.

Cubs fans may not want to hear this but that is not a deal that the team is going to make to address their need in the bullpen. For failures that were the signings of Fulmer and Boxberger last season, the Cubs had success in turning Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr into effective options out of the bullpen. Moves along those lines will likely be how the Cubs plan to address their weaknesses.

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