Sudden Twins release may give Cubs perfect chance to boost struggling pitching staff

With recent speculation that Matt Bowman's minor-league contract with the Minnesota Twins included an opt-out clause, he was an obvious name for Chicago Cubs fans to keep in mind as Jed Hoyer and Co. looked for pitching reinforcements. Unlike the signing of Liam Hendriks, Bowman could be someone the Cubs immediately insert into their bullpen.

Bowman exercised his opt-out clause earlier this week, and instead of promoting him, the Twins released him on Wednesday. Considering the Twins' bullpen has struggled this season, it's somewhat surprising they released Bowman instead of giving him an opportunity. Especially because of the results Bowman had been getting with their Triple-A affiliate.

Bowman was dominant in the minors to start the 2026 season. This isn't a case with some veteran pitchers where you have to point to do the one thing he was doing well and hope the Cubs maximize that with an opportunity in Chicago. Command has never been an issue for Bowman, and this season, he seemed to improve his swing-and-miss metrics while also limiting the balls hit in the air against him.

Matt Bowman could be an immediate boost for the Cubs' staff

It seems that Jed Hoyer had two major whiffs over the offseason. Phil Maton has struggled as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen, and it remains to be seen if Hunter Harvey is going to pitch again for the Cubs. Caleb Thielbar has returned to the Cubs' bullpen and while Jacob Webb has ascended toward a role of importance, the Cubs simply need more.

More or less, the Cubs front office should continue adding names to the mix until the bullpen is stabilized. There certainly will be trade talks for bullpen help later this summer, but signing Bowman is the type of move the Cubs have executed brilliantly in past years. A trend where they identify the right veteran arm to add to the bullpen early in the season, and it's the needed step toward the staff stabilizing.

The problem is that just about every contender will likely have an interest in Bowman. The Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees all come to mind as potential bidders for Bowman. As their interest in Lucas Giolito earlier this season proved, the Cubs may not be in a rush to throw money at their problems this soon.

Of course, that was before the Milwaukee Brewers overtook the Cubs for first place in the National League Central.

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