Unexpected hero of the 2025 Cubs' bullpen signs one-year deal with the Angels

Jed Hoyer put on a masterclass assembling the Chicago Cubs' bullpen in 2025. Buy-low candidates from last offseason like Caleb Thielbar and Brad Keller had career years and in-season pick-ups like Chris Flexen and Drew Pomeranz also thrived under manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy.

After not throwing a single pitch in the big leagues since 2021, Pomeranz immediately make his mark in the Chicago pen, not allowing a single in his first 26 appearances of the year. He closed the year on a high note, as well, after a rocky July, and wound up starting the team's Game 5 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

All told, Pomeranz delivered 49 2/3 innings of 2.17 ball for Counsell, establishing himself as one of the most reliable and consistent relief pitchers in the league. It was a remarkable showing for the 12-year MLB veteran given he hadn't faced big-league hitting since 2021 as a member of the San Diego Padres - and, now, he's part of a new-look Angels bullpen that also added Jordan Romano on Tuesday.

Caleb Thielbar returns to the Cubs; Drew Pomeranz joins the Angels

Coincidentally, the Cubs brought back one of Pomeranz' teammates this week in fellow left-hander Caleb Thielbar. The 38-year-old was brilliant this year, bouncing back from a rocky 2024 campaign in Minnesota to post some of the best numbers of his career. Thielbar worked to a 2.64 ERA and 0.879 WHIP in 67 appearances, limiting hard contact at a rate commesurate with the best relievers in baseball.

Chicago will pair Thielbar with newcomer Hoby Milner, who signed a one-year deal with the Cubs this week. Milner has been a long-speculated Cubs target given he played for Counsell in Milwaukee and checks a lot of the boxes the front office seeks in relief pitchers - but it's worth pointing out, neither are going to blow any hitters away with velocity.

The Cubs still need a late-inning, lockdown arm - but given how quickly that market has moved, I wonder if they're already pivoting slightly. They could plan on giving Daniel Palencia the ninth and bridging the gap to him with their two lefties and veteran Phil Maton. We'd certainly like to see more, but it's worth at least going through the thought exercise of how this pen might look without a huge addition with how light the market already is at this point in the offseason.