Chicago Cubs: Offseason priorities, constructing the perfect bullpen
By Ryan Sikes
As Craig Kimbrel heads into his first full year with the Chicago Cubs, the front office will need to surround him with better talent.
When the Chicago Cubs signed Craig Kimbrel shortly after June’s draft, he was not only a much-needed bullpen arm but he was arguably the best closer in the game. Kimbrel was coming off a World Series victory with the Boston Red Sox but was holding firm to his asking price and with a draft pick tied to him, it only made sense to wait to sign the big righty.
Prior to signing Kimbrel, the Cubs bullpen had blown 12 saves, which were third-most in baseball at the time. Likely attributed to his shortened season, Kimbrel didn’t have the best results, converting 13-of-16 saves but had a 6.53 ERA in 23 appearances. And the Cubs, as a team, blew 28 saves on the year, tied for third-most in baseball.
History has proven that World Series teams usually have a pretty good bullpen and Cubs fans need not look any further than 2016 when the bullpen had the fourth-best bullpen during the regular season in terms of ERA (3.56). And as the 2019 World Series is just getting underway, the Astros have a huge advantage in this department with the second-best bullpen during the regular season and the Nationals having the second-worst. But the Nationals have a 2-0 lead so far because baseball.
This offseason, Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office will have their hands full trying to re-stock bullpen arms after a flurry of guys are set to hit free agency. Among those include Brandon Morrow, Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, and Pedro Strop. The team will also have to make a decision whether to pick up David Phelps‘ $1 million option. Given how well he pitched in the second half and the cost of his option, it sure looks like a no-brainer.