The Chicago Cubs likely aren’t done adding to their bullpen this offseason.
Even after signing Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Caleb Thielbar in free agency so far, the Cubs still need to add one or two more relievers to the roster. The remaining bullpen moves could come on the cheaper side.
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One underrated reliever the Cubs could target this offseason is Michael Kopech. His value is down following an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, but he has shown his potential out of the bullpen over the past two seasons.
He finished with a 3.46 ERA and 88 strikeouts across 67 ⅔ innings pitched for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, and then ended with a 2.45 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14 appearances this past season.
Kopech only threw limited innings last year, as he dealt with a right shoulder injury to start the season and tore his meniscus in the summer. However, it’s hard to ignore his numbers when he was healthy.
His .225 expected batting average against, 28.7% whiff rate, 0% barrel rate, and 39.3% hard-hit rate all ranked well in a small sample size in 2025. Most of that damage came from his electric four-seam fastball.
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The hard-throwing right-hander would also bring some strikeout upside to Chicago’s bullpen. Although his strikeout numbers were down across his 11 innings pitched, Kopech was one of the best swing-and-miss relievers during the 2024 season.
He ranked in the 92nd percentile in whiff rate (32.8%) and in the 93rd percentile in strikeout rate (31.5%) in his first season as a full-time reliever in 2024. The Cubs could no doubt use a reliever like this in their bullpen.
As a result, he would be an excellent target for the Cubs this offseason. He could opt to sign a cheaper one-year deal following a down season, and the front office always seems to be in on these types of free agents.
Kopech would also give Chicago another hard-throwing right-hander in its bullpen. Daniel Palencia and Michael Kopech consistently throw 100+ mph, which would be a major advantage for the team.
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The Cubs don’t have many starters who consistently throw hard. Outside of Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon all rank in the bottom half of the league in average fastball velocity.
So, bringing in a pitcher like Kopech — who averaged 98.7 mph on his fastball during the 2024 season — could throw hitters off. That makes him someone the Cubs should be going after to upgrade their bullpen.
Assuming he is fully healthy, the 29-year-old would be a nice addition.