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The Chicago Cubs cleared out all but $5 million of Cody Bellinger's $52.5 million contract in their trade with the New York Yankees. Now that the Cubs have some extra money to work with, Chicago is planning out their next steps.
The Cubs are showing interest in free agent relievers, via Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. While not the most direct rumor, it at least shows that Chicago wants to improve their bullpen.
It wouldn't be their first bullpen acquisition of the offseason, as the team acquired Eli Morgan in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. He's coming off of a 2024 campaign that saw him produce a career-best 1.93 ERA and 34/11 K/BB ratio over 42 innings.
Furthermore, the Cubs recently saw the emergence of closer Porter Hodge. As a rookie in 2024, Hodge registered a 1.88 ERA and a 52/19 K/BB ratio over his first 39 major league games. He made nine saves and should only see that number go up in 2025; barring injury.
Still, this is a Cubs team that finished the 2024 campaign ranked 12th in the league in bullpen ERA (3.81). While that certainly isn't the worst place to be, Chicago knows they need more from their late inning pitchers to break into the postseason.
Outside of just bullpen, it seems likely that the Cubs could turn to their pitching rotation in terms of upgrades. They already found their ace in Shota Imanaga, signed Matthew Boyd and have players such as Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele already on the roster. Furthermore, their lineup is pretty locked in with the Cubs seemingly willing to trust their top prospects. Another star pitcher to pair with Imanaga could put Chicago over the top.
While they'll no longer have Cody Bellinger, the Cubs now have plenty of money to spend. How they do so could be the difference between making the playoffs or not in 2025.
