With need in bullpen, Cubs eyeing All-Star closer at Winter Meetings

Jordan Campbell

Philadelphia Phillies v Washington Nationals / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages

The Chicago Cubs wasted little time in starting their activity at Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, with it being reported Monday afternoon that team is nearing a deal with veteran catcher Carson Kelly.

Stabilizing the catcher's position was among the top priorities for the Cubs this offseason. Beyond that, improvements to the pitching staff were also near the top of the agenda for the Cubs this winter. In recent weeks, the Cubs have added Matthew Boyd to their starting rotation while trading for Eli Morgan to add to their mix of late-inning relievers.

Still, for a Cubs team expected to contend in 2025, the Cubs aren't believed to be done bolstering their bullpen. While reporting on the imminent addition of Kelly, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reports that the team is also interested in former Washington Nationals' All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan.

The Cubs seem pretty committed to improving their run prevention. They've signed two catchers and a pitcher (Matthew Boyd) via free agency while trading for another one (Eli Morgan). Still trying to improve the pen. They've spoken to Kyle Finnegan (for example), per a source.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 9, 2024

There is a clear fit between the Cubs and Finnegan. Following an All-Star campaign with the Washington Nationals in 2024, Finnegan was among the surprise non-tenders last month. Finnegan tallied 38 saves last season while posting a 3.68 ERA in 65 appearances.

There is a large segment of the Cubs fanbase that will be loud and critical of every rumor that the Cubs are involved in this winter. The interest in Finnegan will be no different, just look at the replies to Jesse's tweet. However, these are the same fans that would be raking Jed Hoyer over the coals next May if he rolled out a bullpen that sees Porter Hodge struggle as the closer during the opening weeks of the season. If the goal is to avoid the 9th inning of Cubs' games that were detrimental to our health, it very much is a good thing that the Cubs have expressed an interest in Finnegan.

On the opening day of the Winter Meetings, the Philadelphia Phillies inked a one-year deal with former Toronto Blue Jays' closer Jordan Romano. Safe to say the Cubs likely checked in on Romano for the similar reasons that Finnegan is of interest.

Jordan Campbell

For nearly 15 years, Jordan has been a workhorse across the FanSided network - including being the inaugural site expert for Cubbies Crib, as well as a stop at Da Windy City as the site expert. In addition to returning to be a Co-Site Expert at Cubbies Crib, Jordan was previously the Site Expert at Bear Goggles On. In the years since, Jordan has joined FanSided's full-time team, serving as a staff writer for the MLB division. Jordan's work can be seen across the MLB division, including a consistent presence on our Cubs, Twins, Astros, and Tigers sites. Since 2010, Jordan has dedicated his craft to providing insightful commentary on all things Chicago sports, and he has enjoyed his venture into all things Major League Baseball.