The Chicago Cubs, when it comes to their bullpen, are in full rebuild mode.
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This isn’t coming as much of a surprise, though. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer had pieced together a bullpen last season full of temporary pieces and castoffs. Surprisingly enough, things ended up coming together nicely under the supervision of manager Craig Counsell and the bullpen finished the year as a Cinderella-esque success story.
But when just about everyone is a stopgap pickup working on a one-year deal, the Cinderella story can’t be long-lived.
Ahead of the 2026 season, that reality has set in as the Cubs look to reconstruct their bullpen, practically from scratch, with Daniel Palencia as the only core reliever guaranteed to return.
The Chicago Cubs bullpen exodus
Oct 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Brad Keller (40) celebrates after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
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Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, and Drew Pomeranz, who became anchors of an overperforming Cubs bullpen, are drifting away via free agency, joining Michael Soroka, Ryan Brasier, Taylor Rogers, and Aaron Civale. The Cubs recently non-tendered Eli Morgan, who suffered through injury in 2025 after coming over in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians last winter. They also traded Andrew Kittredge– and his $9 million option– back to the Baltimore Orioles.
Before signing veteran reliever Phil Maton last weekend, the Cubs bullpen consisted of Palencia and a cast of odd fits and question marks that included Ben Brown, Porter Hodge, Jordan Wicks, Ethan Roberts, Gavin Hollowell, and Luke Little. Obviously, work needed to be done to get the pen into postseason-capable shape.
Targeting a veteran arm?
Aug 5, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
That work is reportedly being done behind the scenes right now, with a degree of seriousness that flies in the face of the Cubs’ usual reliance on budget arms and reclamation projects for their bullpen needs. Signing Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million deal is the first sign that Chicago may actually be willing to spend some money in pursuit of a relief corps that can help carry the team to the playoffs and not simply settle for one held together by coaching maneuverings alongside hopes and dreams.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic is reporting that the Cubs have shown interest in former St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
Per Mooney:
“The Cubs are also among the teams showing interest in free agent Ryan Helsley, according to a league source. Helsley, a two-time All-Star reliever, notched 105 saves over his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, though he has also intrigued clubs as a starter.”
That last part, about Helsley being a starter, seems pretty odd. So, if that’s true, forget about a Helsley-to-the-Cubs deal. But if the veteran stays a bullpen asset, expect the Cubs to be possible suitors– although that’s not a universally popular idea at this point.
Helsley’s story so far
Jul 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Helsley to the Cubs would’ve been lauded by everyone as recently as last season, before the 31-year-old was dealt to the New York Mets at the trade deadline. With the Mets, in the heat of a failing pennant drive, Helsley posted a horrible 7.20 ERA and just generally stunk up the place.
Before August 1, though, Helsley was elite. As a matter of fact, he had been elite since 2022, when he first started closing games for the Cardinals. From 2022 to 2024, he never posted an ERA higher than 2.45. In 2024, he was a workhorse closer with 49 saves and a remarkable 2.04 ERA in 65 appearances.
Helsley could get somewhat lost in the group of free agent closers available this winter that includes Edwin Diaz, Pete Fairbanks, and Devin Williams. He could also get overlooked because of his high-profile collapse with the Mets.
This means that he could come at a good price on a team-friendly deal– something that would definitely pique the interest of a traditionally frugal Cubs team. And he should have enough of an upside to warrant the risk of a contract.
A back-end of a Cubs bullpen featuring Palencia, Maton, and Helsley would be nice, especially heading into the postseason, where elite bullpens help carry teams to titles.
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