Former Royals reliever Hunter Harvey. (Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs continue reshaping their bullpen ahead of the 2026 season, agreeing to a one-year deal with free agent reliever Hunter Harvey, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Harvey, 31, appeared in just 12 games last season as injuries once again interrupted his availability, but when he was on the mound, the results — and the underlying metrics — remained encouraging. Across 10 2/3 innings, Harvey posted a 0.00 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and 1.35 FIP, striking out 28.2% of opposing hitters while walking just 2.6%, good for an elite 25.6% strikeout-minus-walk rate.
Statcast indicators supported that surface performance. Harvey finished with a 1.59 xERA and held hitters to a .189 expected batting average, while allowing zero barrels. Even when batters made contact, they struggled to do damage, as Harvey allowed an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph and limited hard contact relative to league norms.
The right-hander’s four-seam fastball remained the foundation of his arsenal. Thrown 53.3% of the time, the pitch averaged 96.1 mph — down slightly from his 98-plus peak in 2022–23 but still ranking in the 79th percentile league-wide. More importantly, it played up due to command and deception, generating a 31.5% chase rate, 30.6% whiff rate, and a strong 59.6% zone rate.
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Harvey’s splitter was his most dominant weapon. Thrown just under 20% of the time at 87.9 mph, it produced a 33.3% whiff rate and allowed a .000 xwOBA on contact, giving him a true out pitch against both right- and left-handed hitters. His slider and curveball rounded out a four-pitch mix capable of finishing at-bats without relying solely on velocity.
A former top pitching prospect in the Baltimore Orioles system, Harvey broke out as a reliever with the Washington Nationals in 2022 and 2023, posting a 2.70 ERA over 100 innings with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. That two-year stretch remains the upside the Cubs are betting on.
Health, not effectiveness, has been the issue. After being traded to the Kansas City Royals, Harvey was slowed by back, shoulder, and groin injuries, limiting him to just 16 1/3 innings since the acquisition. Still, the pitch quality suggests his stuff hasn’t eroded — only his availability.
For his career, the seven-year veteran owns a 3.11 ERA with 201 strikeouts in 185 innings across stints with Baltimore, Washington, and Kansas City.
The Cubs’ bullpen reset isn’t built solely on external additions. Chicago also enters 2026 with a high-octane internal option capable of handling leverage innings: hard-throwing right-hander Danny Palencia.
Palencia brings one of the loudest raw fastballs in the organization. His four-seamer averaged 99.6 mph, ranking in the 99th percentile across MLB, immediately giving the Cubs a true power arm at the back of the bullpen. That velocity translated into bat-missing ability, as Palencia posted a 28.4% strikeout rate (86th percentile) and a 27.5% whiff rate (68th percentile).
Baseball Savant’s run-value metrics highlight the impact of his arsenal. Palencia finished in the 68th percentile in overall Pitching Run Value, including a 74th-percentile Fastball Run Value, underscoring how effective his heater can be when he’s around the zone. His offspeed offerings graded above average, while his breaking ball sat closer to league norms, giving him a workable mix beyond pure velocity.
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From a contact-management standpoint, Palencia excelled at avoiding elite damage. He allowed just a 4.4% barrel rate, placing him in the 95th percentile, and held hitters to a .227 expected batting average (71st percentile). His 3.31 xERAranked in the 80th percentile, suggesting his results were well-supported by the quality of contact he allowed.
Command remains the variable that will determine his ceiling. Palencia’s 7.4% walk rate ranked in the 63rd percentile, solid but still an area for refinement. When hitters do square him up, damage can follow, as his 48.5% hard-hit rateranked near the bottom of the league — reinforcing the importance of continued command gains.
Palencia’s 6.7 feet of extension (69th percentile) helps his velocity play even faster than the radar gun suggests, pairing well with a bullpen group increasingly built around swing-and-miss traits.
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Taken together, the Cubs’ bullpen blueprint for 2026 comes into focus. Harvey represents a calculated upside bet on elite command and swing-and-miss stuff if his health cooperates, while Palencia offers a cost-controlled, homegrown power arm whose Baseball Savant indicators point to legitimate late-inning potential.
Chicago has also added Phil Maton on a multi-year deal and re-signed Caleb Thielbar, while replacing departed relievers Andrew Kittredge, Brad Keller, and Drew Pomeranz.
If Harvey’s health stabilizes and Palencia’s command continues to trend forward, the Cubs could quietly enter 2026 with a bullpen that features more velocity, more swing-and-miss, and significantly more upside than the group they’re leaving behind.