How Cubs' bullpen is shaping up as camp nears

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The majority of the pitchers who did the heavy lifting for the Cubs’ bullpen last season are no longer with the ballclub. The high rate of turnover this offseason made filling those vacancies a top priority for Chicago’s front office, leading to an overhauled relief corps for the upcoming campaign.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell has plenty of new “out-getters” (to borrow his phrase) to choose for the Opening Day bullpen, but how exactly the relievers will slot into place will take time. The first step will be building the initial unit during Spring Training and then letting the season reveal the best path forward.

“The bullpen is where the team has turned over the most and looks different the most,” Counsell said during Cubs Convention in mid-January. “Also, we know that’s an area of volatility on all teams. So, I don’t think we’ll have solid answers on that for a while.

“I think we’ve brought what we think is a talented group to form a really good unit. But, like roles? It’s going to be into the season before we kind of probably establish some things.”

Here is how the bullpen picture looks right now with Spring Training looming:

Virtual locks

• RHP Hunter Harvey
• RHP Phil Maton
• LHP Hoby Milner
• RHP Daniel Palencia
• LHP Caleb Thielbar
• RHP Jacob Webb

Only Palencia (under team control through 2030) and Thielbar (re-signed via a one-year, $4.5 million deal) return from the main ‘25 cast. The 25-year-old Palencia emerged as a closing option last year (22 saves and a 2.91 ERA), making him an early favorite for save opportunities this season. The veteran Thielbar was rock solid last year, posting a 2.64 ERA in 67 games, while limiting lefties to a .161 average and a .486 OPS.

Maton joined the Cubs on a two-year deal ($14.5 million guaranteed with an option for ‘28) after a career year between the Cardinals and Rangers (2.79 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings) in ‘25. Chicago sees high upside in the hard-throwing Harvey, brought in a lefty Counsell has worked with before in Milner and added a consistent performer in Webb (3.22 ERA in 169 games across ‘23-25). All three inked a one-year deal (plus ‘27 options for Harvey and Webb).

Swingman options

• RHP Javier Assad
• RHP Ben Brown
• RHP Colin Rea
• LHP Jordan Wicks

The 35-year-old Rea re-signed with the Cubs after finishing second on the team in innings (159 1/3) last season. He began as a reliever, but he moved into the rotation when injuries struck the group and was reliable (3.95 ERA overall). Rea finds himself in a similar spot to begin ‘26, and he should have a spot on the Opening Day pitching staff in some capacity.

The Cubs will have to determine the best approach with Assad, Brown and Wicks as well. All three serve as depth for the rotation and could be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to remain in that mode at the start of the season. That said, they each have relief experience, too. Brown, in particular, could be intriguing as a hard-throwing option out of the bullpen.

Next-man up

• RHP Porter Hodge

The 24-year-old Hodge was brilliant as a rookie in ‘24, earning late-inning assignments and finishing with a 1.88 ERA and nine saves over 39 games in Counsell’s first year in Chicago. Last season, injuries and inconsistency struck, leading to stints on the injured list and in Triple-A for the big righty. Hodge is in a position to use this spring to convince the Cubs to keep him in the big league bullpen. Otherwise, expect him to be one of the main next-man-up options this season.

Depth on 40-man roster

• RHP Gavin Hollowell
• LHP Luke Little
• RHP Jack Neely
• RHP Ethan Roberts
• LHP Riley Martin
• LHP Ryan Rolison

With the exception of Martin, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, these relievers have varying degrees of MLB experience. Rolison (claimed off waivers from the White Sox on Jan. 7) is new to the organization. These arms can try to open eyes this spring, but they also are in position to serve as depth during the inevitable roster churn over 162 games.

Non-roster candidates

This list could continue to grow in the days and weeks ahead, but the Cubs have added right-handers Jeff Brigham, Corbin Martin, Collin Snider and Trent Thornton on Minor League deals (with non-roster invites to MLB camp). It can be an uphill battle for an NRI player to crack an Opening Day roster, but it happens. Just last spring, righty Brad Keller made the Cubs as a non-roster invitee and developed into a key, trusted arm before earning a two-year deal with the Phillies this winter.