There is no way around it: the 2026 Chicago Cubs bullpen stunk. Their 3.90 ERA was technically in the top half of the league, but their -0.6 fWAR (3rd worst), 20.8% strikeout rate (7th worst), 7.7% barrel rate (7th worst), 39.8% hard-hit rate (2nd worst), and 89 homers allowed (5th worst) tell a very different story … a horror story. Basically, once Jacob Webb’s innings caught up with him in late August, the team had exactly ZERO sure-fire, late-inning, shut-down arms.
To be fair, that wasn’t really for a lack of trying. Last offseason, Jed Hoyer spent much more money on free agent relievers than he usually does, including multiple multi-year deals for more established contributors. But injuries up and down the pitching staff (rotation included), plus some unexpected underperformance, absolutely nuked the group’s overall contributions.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the Cubs bullpen is in much better shape at the outset of this offseason than it usually is. You have to be a little optimistic on some particular narratives (hold that thought), but the following in-house options absolutely provide more established upside than we usually see from this organization in early November.
Daniel Palencia, RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, RHP Jacob Webb, RHP Ryan Rolison, LHP Phil Maton, RHP Shelby Miller, RHPDaniel Palencia was injured throughout most of the season and struggled at times when he was healthy, but the consensus is that acting as the closer for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic messed him up for the entire year. Turns out going from not pitching at all to … max-effort, high-leverage, high-anxiety 100 mph darts in mid-March is not good for a player’s health. Who woulda thought?
Ryan Zeferjahn is a prime-aged, hard-throwing reliever who has as much upside as anyone in the Cubs bullpen. He battled some command issues early on, but allowed just one earned run over his final nine appearances and is generally expected to be an impact reliever going forward.
Jacob Webb was nails all year long … until the Cubs needed to rely on him (and only him) over and over and over. If they can pace him better next season, he’ll likely be just fine. Indeed, the Cubs just restructured his deal to tack on another year precisely because they believe in him. He shouldn’t be the Cubs closer in 2027, but he shouldn’t have to be, either.
Ryan Rolison simply had a solid season (3.14 ERA over 63.0 IP). Relievers are fickle; we know this. But I don’t see any MORE reason to expect regression from him than anyone else. He’s just a solid, middle-innings, left-handed reliever.
Phil Maton, the Cubs biggest relief investment last offseason, was a huge disappointment in 2026, but it turns out all those IL stints weren’t phantom. Maton underwent knee surgery in early September, which can hopefully return him closer to the form he set over three years before coming to the Cubs: 3.15 ERA and a 27.3% strikeout rate over 191.1 IP.
The Cubs signed Shelby Miller to a two-year deal last offseason knowing he’d likely miss all of 2026 recovering from Tommy John surgery. But he did make it back to the (minor league) mound by the end of the season and could be a huge factor in the Cubs bullpen next year.
There are plenty of other guys too (will Ben Brown or Javier Assad pitch in relief? If Gavin Hollowell is healthy, can he keep dominating like he did in that short burst? Ditto Riley Martin?), but we’re already stretching the point … which is to say, even though not all of the above players will work out, there is a strong foundation with some legitimate upside and established presence coming out of the Cubs bullpen.
Now, with that out of the way, here’s another fact: The Cubs still absolutely, positively, without question need to add even more impact to the bullpen. They’ll also grab some depth, and they’ll want some projects/lottery tickets too, but they NEED more impact. Fortunately, the free agent market has plenty of options.
Top-10 Free Agent Relievers for the Cubs
Here are my ten favorites, with some contractual projections from the various outlets.
1. Adrian Morejon, 27, LHP
You couldn’t dream up a better free agent relief target for the Chicago Cubs this offseason. Morejon is young (27), throws hard (99.1 mph), strikes guys out (30.4 K%), gives up no good contact (2.8 barrel%), and is left-handed, which is something the Cubs like. If he wasn’t behind Mason Miller, he would have been the Padres closer. And the Cubs should sign him to be theirs. Indeed, Morejon was No. 2 on my list of the top-7 free agents for the Cubs to target this winter.
2026 Stats: 2.83 ERA (2.37 FIP) over 86.0 IP
There’s only one problem … he’s going to be EXPENSIVE.
MLB Trade Rumors (five years, $80 million), ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (four years, $88 million), and FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens (three years, $72 million) are all projecting huge contracts for the young fireballer, and why wouldn’t they? He’s going to get at least three years and at least $60 million. The Cubs have so far only once been willing to go near that level for a reliever (Tanner Scott two years ago). But part of me thinks Morejon could be the next.
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Adrian Morejon | David Frerker-Imagn Images2. David Bednar, 32, RHP
You probably remember David Bednar from his dominating years in Pittsburgh, but he has remained elite since being traded to New York. There was the one completely random HORRIBLE season in 2024, but outside of that, he’s been as steady of a closer as anybody for half a decade.
2021: 60.2 IP, 2.23 ERA, 3 saves2022: 51.2 IP, 2.61 ERA, 19 saves2023: 67.1 IP, 2.00 ERA, 39 saves2024: 57.2 IP, 5.77 ERA, 23 saves2025: 62.2 IP, 2.30 ERA, 27 saves2026: 69.1 IP, 2.47 ERA, 35 saves
I mean … that’s a closer right there.
His velocity did dip a bit this past season, right alongside his strikeout rate, but both were still solidly above average. He also started generating a lot more groundballs, while walks are not an issue. You won’t find me complaining if the Cubs brought in Bednar, but I’d MUCH rather spend the money on Morejon, because Bednar won’t exactly be cheap: MLB Trade Rumors (four years, $68 million), Kiley McDaniel (three years, $60 million), and Ben Clemens (three years, $48 million).
New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar | Tom Horak-Imagn Images3. Gregory Soto, 31, LHP
Lefty? Check. Throws hard? Check. Gets some groundballs? Check. Strikes guys out? Check. Gregory Soto doesn’t have the pedigree of either of the first two players on this list, but he has 72 career saves and just wrapped up a great walk year in Pittsburgh.
2026 Stats: 67.0 IP, 3.63 ERA (3.32 FIP); 27.7% strikeout rate
The walks were a bit of an issue, and his previously well-above-average groundball rate was closer to average these past two seasons. But there’s plenty here to like, including a lower price tag: MLB Trade Rumors (unranked), Kiley McDaniel (three years, $36 million), and Ben Clemens (unranked).
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gregory Soto | Matt Marton-Imagn Images4. Evan Phillips, 32, RHP
It’s been a while since Phillips was saving games for the Dodgers (24 saves in 2023, 18 saves in 2024), and he has hardly pitched these last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery (31.2 IP combined in 2025-2026), but he did make it back this season and looked VERY good once he settled in.
Specifically, after a rough first seven outings, Phillips allowed just five earned runs over his final 24 appearances with the Dodgers, amounting to a 2.33 ERA (2.22 FIP). He also tossed three scoreless innings in the playoffs this year.
Phillips doesn’t do a very good job keeping the ball on the ground, but that’s an acceptable trade-off given his very impressive strikeout and walk rates: 31.1 K%, 5.7 BB% this season. Throw in a 96.7 mph fastball and he’s easy to like. The cost is not projected to be cheap, but he won’t totally break the bank, either: MLB Trade Rumors (two years, $24 million), Kiley McDaniel (unranked), and Ben Clemens (two years, $20 million).
If you want strikeouts, you have to pay for it. And the Cubs (say they) want strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images5. Alex Vesia, 30, LHP
What Alex Vesia lacks in velocity (92.1 mph fastball) he makes up for in strikeouts. Only once in six full big-league seasons did Vesia post a strikeout rate under 30% … and that was a 29.5% mark in 2023. The walks come and go, but the Ks are always there. And ultimately, that’s what the Cubs should be chasing.
2026 Stats: 58.0 IP, 2.64 ERA (3.10 FIP); 31.2 K%
There are some red flags, though. For one, his 13.5% walk rate this year was more than just “a little elevated,” and that’s especially concerning with a staggeringly high 53.4% flyball rate. If the wind at Wrigley is blowing out, he could wind up being homer-prone. He usually stays off the barrel well enough not to be, but after the 2026 season … I’d generally prefer the Cubs get guys who can keep the ball on the ground.
With that said, you’ll be hard-pressed to pay any less than these projections for that many strikeouts: MLB Trade Rumors (two years, $26 million), Kiley McDaniel (two years, $25 million), and Ben Clemens (two years, $18 million).
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images6. Jonathan Loaisiga, 32, RHP
In many ways, Loaisiga is the opposite of Vesia. He throws hard (97.6 mph), does not walk guys (5.0 BB% last season), generates a lot of groundballs (56.4%), but does not strike guys out (18.4 K% last season). Even still, the performance was solid last season:
2026 Stats: 67.0 IP, 2.42 ERA (2.88 FIP); 18.4 K%
Ultimately, I think the combination of velocity and groundballs makes him a very likely target for the Chicago Cubs front office this winter. Especially at the projected price tag: MLB Trade Rumors (two years, $13 million), Kiley McDaniel (two years, $22 million), and Ben Clemens (two years, $24 million).
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga | David Frerker-Imagn Images7. Sean Newcomb, 33, LHP
Sean Newcomb spent time with the Cubs back in 2022, but injuries and underperformance made his time in Chicago brief. Newcomb dealt with injuries in 2023 and 2024, limiting him to just 25.0 IP. But he bounced back BIG in 2025 (2.73 ERA over 92.1 IP) and carried that forward into 2026 (3.09 ERA over 90.1 IP).
His history as a starter also fits the mold the Cubs front office (or perhaps more accurately, Craig Counsell) seems to prefer. And his velocity was back up to 94.8 mph this past season.
2026 Stats: 90.1 IP, 3.09 ERA (3.21 FIP); 22.6% strikeout rate
Newcomb is also pretty good at keeping the ball on the ground and routinely runs solidly better-than-average barrel rates. He would not be a very good “closer type,” but Newcomb could be an impact reliever who covers more innings than a typical guy at a reasonable cost. MLB Trade Rumors (unranked), Kiley McDaniel (unranked), and Ben Clemens (two years, $22 million).
Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb | David Richard-Imagn Images8. Raisel Iglesias, 36, RHP
Iglesias’ velocity has been dropping as he ages — from 2022 (96.4 mph) to 2024 (95.7 mph) to 2026 (94.4 mph) — but he keeps on getting results with a steady performance across the board and a long track record of success.
2026 Stats: 60.0 IP, 2.55 ERA (3.17 FIP); 34 saves, 26.8 K%
He’s also very good at limiting free passes and has a TON of history saving ballgames. In fact, since 2017, only Kenley Jansen (301) has more saves than Raisel Iglesias (281). At his age, I agree that a high-AAV, short-term deal is the most likely outcome, which might play into the Cubs hands if they otherwise like him: MLB Trade Rumors (one year, $17 million), Kiley McDaniel (one year, $14 million), and Ben Clemens (one year, $13 million).
Atlanta Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias | © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images9. JoJo Romero, 30, LHP
JoJo Romero broke out for the Cardinals in 2023, and has been a very solid reliever in all four seasons since. He may have peaked in 2025, when he generated an elite 54.5% groundball rate and 2.07 ERA, but he was perfectly solid this season between St. Louis and Milwaukee.
2026 Stats: 56.1 IP, 3.36 ERA (3.97 FIP); 22.7 K%
With Romero, you get fewer strikeouts and less upside, but arguably a little more consistency and knowledge of what to expect (all relatively speaking to relievers, of course). There’s not much velocity here (94.4 mph), but a 30-year-old lefty who doesn’t walk many guys and keeps the ball on the ground is a solid player to target. Oh, he also seems to have been struck by some bad luck with flyballs this past season, posting a 14.3% HR/FB ratio after it sat at 4.0% the season prior.
MLB Trade Rumors (two years, $13 million), Kiley McDaniel (unranked), and Ben Clemens (two years, $16 million).
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher JoJo Romero | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images10. Kris Bubic, 29, LHP
This one is a little out of the box, as Bubic has been a starter for most of his career and is only 29 years old. However, the Dodgers used Bubic as a reliever after acquiring him at the trade deadline, as injuries have slowed down his career. If he is willing to convert to relief permanently, you can expect the Cubs (who’ve shown interest in Bubic as a starter in the past) to be interested. However, if I had to bet, he’ll try to find a one-year deal somewhere he can start before hitting free agency as a starter again next offseason. There’s just so much more money to gain, especially at his age, by trying that at least once.
MLB Trade Rumors (one year, $12.5 million), Kiley McDaniel (two years, $18 million), and Ben Clemens (two years, $37 million).
Kris Bubic | © Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesHere’s a quick look at all of the players above with projected contracts from each of the three publications.
TOP-10 FREE AGENT RELIEVERS FOR THE CUBS Projected contracts · 2026–27 offseason # Player Throws MLBTR Kiley McDaniel ESPN Ben Clemens FanGraphs 1Adrian MorejonLHP5 yrs, $80M4 yrs, $88M3 yrs, $72M 2David BednarRHP4 yrs, $68M3 yrs, $60M3 yrs, $48M 3Gregory SotoLHPUnranked3 yrs, $36MUnranked 4Evan PhillipsRHP2 yrs, $24MUnranked2 yrs, $20M 5Alex VesiaLHP2 yrs, $26M2 yrs, $25M2 yrs, $18M 6Jonathan LoaisigaRHP2 yrs, $13M2 yrs, $22M2 yrs, $24M 7Sean NewcombLHPUnrankedUnranked2 yrs, $22M 8Raisel IglesiasRHP1 yr, $17M1 yr, $14M1 yr, $13M 9JoJo RomeroLHP2 yrs, $13MUnranked2 yrs, $16M 10Kris BubicLHP1 yr, $12.5M2 yrs, $18M2 yrs, $37M Projections: MLB Trade Rumors, Kiley McDaniel (ESPN), Ben Clemens (FanGraphs) · “Unranked”=not on that outlet’s listWho are your favorites?
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