Cubs continue adding former Rangers relievers by signing righty Jacob Webb

The Chicago Cubs have signed former Texas Rangers right-handed reliever Jacob Webb to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2027 season, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. Webb will make $1.5 million next season. The option would pay the righty $2.5 million, with $500,000 available in annual incentives, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon.

Webb, 32, signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Rangers during December of 2024. He missed a few weeks of the 2025 campaign due to a back spasm, but he was still very effective for Texas overall. In 55 appearances last season, Webb posted a 3.00 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 19 walks across 66 innings.

Webb doesn’t blow hitters away or have excellent control, but he can miss barrels and bats. During the 2025 season, Webb’s average exit velocity (86.6 miles per hour) ranked in the 95th percentile, his barrel rate (5.9%) ranked in the 85th percentile and his hard-hit rate (34.6%) ranked in the 89th percentile.

Webb had an excellent rookie season with the Atlanta Braves in 2019, posting a 1.39 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 32 1/3 innings. He threw 10 scoreless innings for the Braves in 2020, then had a 4.19 ERA in 34 1/3 innings with Atlanta in 2021. He struggled in the postseason with the Braves in 2020 and 2021, allowing seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, but he still won a ring as the Braves defeated the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series.

The Braves designated Webb for assignment on April 12, 2022, and the Arizona Diamondbacks claimed him. He didn’t pitch a single MLB inning for Arizona, and he was designated for assignment on June 5, 2022. Arizona traded him back to Atlanta, but the Braves designated him for assignment again less than two weeks later. He was then outrighted to the minor leagues, where he pitched for the remainder of the season.

In the 2022-23 offseason, Webb signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels after electing free agency. He had a 3.98 ERA in 31 2/3 innings with the Angels before being designated for assignment on August 5, 2023, and claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles two days later. He finished the season by posting a 3.27 ERA in 22 innings with Baltimore, then had a 3.02 ERA in 56 2/3 innings with the same club in 2024 before signing with the Rangers.

Rangers must continue to rebuild bullpen

Webb is the third reliever from the Rangers’ 2025 team to sign with the Cubs this offseason, as lefty Hoby Milner signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the club, and Phil Maton signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract with them.

While the Rangers have made moves to rebuild their depleted bullpen this offseason, signing right-hander Alex Díaz and left-hander Tyler Alexander to one-year deals, losing three key relievers from the 2025 season is still a setback. They’ll have to add more relievers to ensure the bullpen doesn’t suffer dramatic regression next season.