A Quick Power Ranking of Free-Agent Relievers With Whom Cubs Could Reunite

[Matthew Trueblood]

Ooooh, sweet child of miiiiine.

No, I'm kidding. Or am I?

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As the Cubs consider further upgrades to a bullpen already improved directly (a trade for Eli Morgan, this week's Caleb Thielbar signing) and indirectly (the Matthew Boyd signing, pushing more of their depth arms toward relief roles) this winter, it's worth pausing a bit to consider whether the answers to all their problems have been standing right in front of them—not all along, maybe, but at some point in the recent past.

Seven notable free-agent relievers have had a stint with the Cubs already. Here they are, ranked from the one they'd be most helped by reuniting with to the ones they should resolutely avoid.

1. Jorge López, RHP - 2024 Cubs
Made available after he essentially broke down and was cut by the Mets, López thrived in a four-month stint with the Cubs under Craig Counsell, his first big-league manager. He made some basic but pivotal changes and emerged as a high-leverage relief weapon, hampered only by a groin strain that cost him virtually all of September. López should be a very inexpensive but high-upside arm in free agency, and presumably, he'd be open to a return.

2. David Robertson, RHP - 2022 Cubs
Though he'll turn 40 in April, Robertson is still going fairly strong. His cutter and curveball remain a potent combination, and he's been creative and crafty in staying ahead of Father Time over the last decade. There's always risk of being the team holding the bag when a pitcher this old finally breaks down, but Robertson is a compelling target.

3. Chris Martin, RHP - 2022 Cubs
Only a year younger than Robertson and with significant durability concerns, Martin is nonetheless appealing. He's been consistently excellent when he's been on the mound for the last several years, and has slowly built a deep arsenal that belies his role and his age. He still slots nicely into high-leverage middle relief.

4. Andrew Chafin, LHP - 2020-21 Cubs
With Thielbar on board, the need for a lefty like Chafin is greatly reduced. Thielbar joins a corps that already included Luke Little. However, Chafin remains a sturdy slider monster with excellent set-up value in a traditional bullpen structure. He would improve the team's depth, but the roster crunch might not be worth it.

5. Drew Smyly, LHP - 2022-24 Cubs
The appeal of Smyly is less his matchup value—he has that unique arsenal and often runs reverse platoon splits, anyway—than his ability to give the team multiple innings in a game out of the pen. He's also a well-liked member of the clubhouse. If he came back, it would have to be on a minimal deal, but he could give the pitching staff a bit of length that's missing from their current bullpen depth chart.

6. Craig Kimbrel, RHP - 2019-21 Cubs
Far, far past his prime, Kimbrel is probably going to land with a non-contender on a low-dollar deal this winter. It's hard to imagine almost any scenario in which the Cubs would want to bring him back for a second engagement, and that's for the best. This season promises to be a stern enough test of fans' nerves as it is.

7. Héctor Neris, RHP - 2024 Cubs
I know. I'm just obligated to mention it, as part of the conceit of this piece. Did you happen to see how well he bounced back after returning to the Astros for the stretch run? Maybe there's a little left in the tank, after all. The Cubs don't have to be the ones to find out, though.

---

Ideally, the team will aim higher than any of these guys as they strive to finish off a better bullpen than the one they brought into 2024. If they did end up bringing back López or Robertson, though, it might be enough to galvanize an already-talented collection of hurlers.

View full article