Offseason Primer: A State of the Union on the Cubs' Bullpen

With the World Series rapidly coming to a close, the offseason is upon us. Despite a looming lockout and the possibility of some lost ballgames, there is a very strong likelihood that the 2027 MLB season will still happen. The Cubs will need to look to build and rebuild, as they hope to not only make the playoffs again next year, but push further. Today, we'll look into the Chicago Cubs' bullpen. We'll recap their 2026 season, take a look at their upcoming roster decisions and then try to map out what the team may attempt to do in what may be a weird, and wacky offseason. 

2026 Recap

The 2026 season wasn't a banner year for the Chicago Cubs' relief corps. After a strong 2025, the North Siders hoped to build upon their success by adding Phil Maton, Justin Webb, Hoby Milner and Hunter Harvey to standouts from the year prior such as Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar. Injuries to Maton, Milner and Harvey cut the legs out from the Cubs' pen, and ineffectiveness from others created a pretty dire situation by mid-season. Attempting to rectify the situation, the team scoured the waiver wire for old friends such as Drew Pomeranz and the trade market, bringing in Angels standout Ryan Zeferjahn in hopes of stabilizing the group. They got mixed results. Ultimately, the team was unable to recreate the success from the year before, and they fell short of their lofty goals for their relievers.

2027 Roster Decisions

• Javier Assad - Team Option - $3.3 million
• Aaron Civale - Free Agent
• Hunter Harvey - Mutual Option - $8 million w/ $1 million buyout
• Colin Rea - Team Option - $7.5 million w/ $1 million buyout
• Caleb Thielbar- Mutual Option - $6 million w/ $500,000 buyout
• Jacob Webb - Team Option - $2.5 million 

Of these decisions, a few are fairly straight forward. Javier Assad's option will be declined, because the team can expect to get him for less than the value of it via arbitration. He'll stick around, though, and he can still be optioned to the minors next year, allowing the Cubs to once again shuttle the pitcher between Iowa and Chicago if need be. He's a lock to be on the team, unless a club is willing to overpay for him in a trade for some reason.

Most of the same can be said for Jacob Webb. As a 7th-inning option, he's great, especially for his price. Picking up his option is an easy call. The Cubs will certainly hope to not have to rely on him as the de facto closer next season, but his August swoon aside, Webb was effective and quite useful for most of the year.

On the flip side, declining their end of the mutual options for Caleb Thielbar and Hunter Harvey will be pretty simple choices. Thielbar's 2026 was a roller coaster, and the team can find other options at cheaper prices. Harvey did Hunter Harvey things, which is to say, he got hurt. Declining his option will also be an easy decision. While the Cubs will be on the hook for both of their buyouts, this will clear considerable prospective salary, which the organization can reinvest in their pitching needs.

Things get a little stickier with Aaron Civale and Colin Rea. Civale, who came over to the Cubs midseason via the Athletics, once again produced for the Cubs. It feels very possible that the two sides find common ground, but with any free agent, it's hard to predict those things. He is probably capable of delivering solid middle relief, but all you need is one team offering the chance to start. I have no doubt the Cubs would like to have Rea back, but the questions become "in what role?" and "how much is there to spend?" He may be a casualty of the budget, or he may return as a swingman, like Assad. 

2027 Outlook

It's probably hard to believe, but the Cubs' bullpen is in a pretty good spot. With returning anchors Palencia, Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison, they have most of a solid high-leverage group. Assad and Webb would offer two more pieces and build out five roster spots of a potential eight. I'm not sure there has been a starting point this strong for the bullpen over the last handful of years (even if that's a low bar to clear) as we entered the offseason. It will make everyone's job a little easier this offseason not having to fully build from ground up.

Beyond those five, there are a lot of wild cards floating around the team that can be added to the fray. Maton struggled with injury and ineffectiveness last season but has been a trustworthy leverage reliever for a long time. A healthy 2027 would go a long way to building out a strong relief unit. Ben Brown, working his way back from injury, may require a permanent home in the pen to avoid the string of injuries that have befallen him. If that happens, he would be another power righty to add to the leverage cocktail.

Edward Cabrera, last year's big trade acquisition, will be given another shot in the rotation, but if he has a 2027 much like his 2026, he may end up working in relief. The team would certainly like to get more out of him, but his pure stuff makes working out of the pen a viable fallback. While that wouldn't be the goal, it would still offer a way to get value out of the righty. Don't sleep on Riley Martin, either. Martin probably has an inside track as the second lefty for next season, as he looked effective in limited action as a rookie. Any or all of these pitchers can provide support and depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see any of them contribute in strong ways.

The farm is where things get a little less rosy. Jaxon Wiggins may play a role here, but his 2026 was marred with poor performance, rust and diminished velocity, so he's no guarantee. A few right-handed arms (such as Grant Kipp and Kohl Franklin) may provide some mid-innings options, but neither looks like a game changer. Behind that group, you're mostly hoping for pop-up prospects. Much of the pitching that is exciting is too far away to count on next year.

What Might the Team Add to the Mix?

The best reliever on the free-market is left-handed stud Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres. Morejon is a beast, but I wouldn't expect him to be on the Cubs' radar. There's a chance the team sees him as a possible flip to the rotation, but unless Tom Ricketts has decided to go to another level on spending, it seems unlikely they will have enough money to fix everything else and splurge on the best reliever available. As fun as building out a bona fide bullpen of death would be, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards (or budget).

Instead, the team will probably try to find quality via quantity and risk-taking. Webb, for example, was a cheap and effective addition last season, and Brad Keller worked out even better in 2025, so look for the team to try and recreate that success. They may look to add a reliever off a down season (Bryan Abreu, for example, could represent a buy-low candidate), as well. I wouldn't get attached to any specific name, but based on recent history, the team finding one or two reclamations who become solidified in the bullpen is a very possible.

General Outlook

The Cubs' don't have a truly difficult pathway to building out a solid bullpen. There won't be a Mason Miller lock-down star, but there's likely to be enough here that the pen should be pretty good. They don't require massive additions and can attempt to fill this out on the cheap, while they spend more on the rotation and the outfield. 

What do you think of the Cubs' outlook for the 2027 bullpen? Who would you like to see added? Sound off in the comment section below!

Are you optimistic about the Cubs right now?

Are you optimistic about the Cubs right now?

• Are you optimistic about the Cubs right now? Required
  

  
• Save

See All Cubs Polls >