Chicago Cubs Must Address Key Weakness to Solidify Contender Status
The Chicago Cubs are close to becoming serious contenders, but there’s still one significant area on their roster that needs attention.
Few teams have had as active and successful an offseason as the Cubs. Their biggest move came when they pulled off a surprising trade, acquiring star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. In exchange, they sent third baseman Isaac Parades, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and top prospect Cam Smith to Houston.
Though Tucker is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, the Cubs are banking on his talent to elevate their offense. This move adds to what is already a deep and talented lineup, and the Cubs also have more reinforcements on the way. Top prospect Matt Shaw will have a chance to claim the starting third base job during Spring Training, and despite trading Smith, they still have seven players ranked in the MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects.
However, the team still has a clear need to bolster its pitching staff, particularly the bullpen. While the Cubs have made some additions, such as signing Caleb Thielbar from the Minnesota Twins on a one-year, $2.75 million deal and acquiring Eli Morgan, Matt Festa, and Cody Poteet in trades with the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees, respectively, there’s still work to be done.
These new additions will join closer Porter Hodge, who had a strong finish to the season, and breakout reliever Nate Pearson, who impressed after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays. While this group shows promise, it’s still a relatively unproven bullpen, particularly in high-leverage situations. To be truly competitive, the Cubs could use another arm with late-game experience, such as a proven closer.
This is currently the team’s biggest need, according to former MLB general manager and writer Jim Bowden. “Have they done enough to improve their bullpen? They still have a shot to sign Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, or Carlos Estévez; adding one of those three would significantly improve their chances of winning the NL Central,” Bowden wrote in The Athletic.
With their already impressive offseason moves, adding one of these experienced relief pitchers would further solidify the Cubs as one of the top teams in the division.
If the Cubs can secure a reliable closer to anchor their bullpen, they will be a formidable force, as there are no other major weaknesses on the roster. With strong depth across the board and a farm system full of prospects ready to make an impact, the future is looking very bright for the Cubs.
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