Three Free Agent Relievers Cubs Should Target This Offseason

Amid all the Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, and Nico Hoerner trade rumors, the Cubs could still greatly benefit from adding at least one, if not two, relief pitchers.

With plenty of options still out on the open market, here are three that the Cubs should go after to help bolster the bullpen.

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Tanner Scott
Coming off of a career year in 2024, Scott would be a welcome addition to a Cubs bullpen that has felt like it needed a left-handed flamethrower for years.

Scott uses just two pitches 99.9% of the time, with those pitches being a fastball and a slider. He throws the fastball 59.2% of the time and uses the slider 40.7% of the time. The occasional changeup from Scott makes up for the other 0.1%.

Righties hit just .155 against Scott's fastball in 2024 and had just two extra base-hits in 103 at-bats. The slider was not as effective, as opponent hit .250 with two homers against it.

Scott finished 2024 with a 1.95 ERA and 22 saves and would likely slide straight into the closer role for Chicago. Scott would be a great addition to the back end of the bullpen, featuring Julian Merryweather and Porter Hodge.

Scott possesses a career K/9 rate of 11.9. Cub fans have wanted a hard-throwing lefty who gets strikeouts since the departure of Aroldis Chapman in 2016.

AJ Minter
Minter appeared in just 39 games for the Braves last season but was efficient when he was available to come out of the Atlanta bullpen.

Minter has a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, cutter and changeup. He throws the fastball the most at 47.7% of the time. The cutter is his second most frequented pitch at 34.5% and the changeup is thrown 17.8%.

The changeup is Minter's best pitch to get a strikeout, as the pitch has a whiff rate of over 40%. Opponents were just 3-for-89 on the pitch with no extra base hits and 10 strikeouts.

He finished the season with a record of 5-4 and a 2.62 ERA, the third-lowest ERA in his eight-year career. Much like Scott, Minter would be a great left-handed addition to the bullpen, as he brings a K/9 rate of 10.9 for his career.

Andrew Chafin
Cub fans would love a reunion with "The Sheriff," as he's called by most around the MLB. Chafin spent parts of Chicago's 2020 and 2021 seasons and was quite good. Chafin finished his 2020 stint with an ERA of 3.00 and topped that with a 2.06 ERA in 43 games in 2021.

Besides being a fan favorite, Chafin is a solid pitcher, as the statistics show. His last two seasons have not been what he hoped for, so maybe a return to Chicago could be exactly what Chafin needs to return to form.

Chafin is an outlier from the other two, as he throws a slider the most at 45.7% of the time. He mixes in a sinker and a fastball also.

Chafin has an impressive 56.8% whiff rate on his slider and opponents hit just .141 against the pitch.

A combo of the fastball heavy Scott and slider heavy Chafin would be a great left-handed combo out of the Cubs bullpen.

As has been the theme with these three relievers, the Cubs need a solid left-handed option out of the bullpen for 2025 and beyond.

Any one of these three names would be an excellent signing for the Cubs. Pair a Tanner Scott signing with a trade for Kyle Tucker, and the Cubs will have had a successful offseason and set themselves up nicely for the 2025 season.