CHICAGO -- The Cubs’ search for bullpen reinforcements has been steady this offseason and will continue in the weeks ahead as Spring Training approaches. The North Siders’ latest addition was another sneaky good member of the Rangers’ bullpen last season.
On Tuesday, the Cubs reached an agreement with right-hander Jacob Webb on a one-year contract that includes a club option for the 2027 season, sources told MLB.com. The team did not confirm the deal.
Per The Athletic, which was first on the Webb signing, the reliever is set to earn $1.5 million next season, plus performance bonuses. The team option for the second season would reportedly net the righty $2.5 million (plus incentives).
The addition of Webb follows the signings of righty Phil Maton (two-year deal plus a club option for ‘28) and lefty Hoby Milner (one-year deal), who were both teammates of the righty with Texas last season. The Cubs have also re-signed lefty Caleb Thielbar and swingman Colin Rea this offseason, and they will have righty Collin Snider in Major League camp on a Minor League deal among the non-roster invitees.
Webb posted a 3.00 ERA across 55 appearances (66 innings) with the Rangers last season. He owns a 2.99 career ERA and a 138 ERA+ across six MLB seasons split with the Braves, Angels, Orioles and Rangers. He won a World Series with Atlanta in 2021.
The 32-year-old righty attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix: a mid-90s four-seamer, a mid-80s changeup and an 82 mph sweeper. Opposing hitters batted .202 against Webb this past season and just .186 with a .289 slugging percentage off of his fastball, which is his most frequent pitch.
Webb also generates a good amount of soft contact as his 34.6% hard-hit rate in 2025 was right in line with his career rate (34.7%) and ranked in the 89th percentile in MLB. The 86.6 mph average exit velocity produced by Webb last year ranked in the 95th percentile.
Bethancourt returning on Minor League deal
The Cubs have also reached an agreement with veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt on a Minor League contract that includes a non-roster invitation to Spring Training, a source told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the move.
Bethancourt offers experienced depth behind the Cubs’ big league catching group, which includes Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya and Moisés Ballesteros (Pipeline’s No. 2 Cubs prospect and No. 53 on the Top 100 list). The 34-year-old Bethancourt has spent parts of eight MLB seasons between six clubs, including a stint with the Cubs in 2024.
Bethancourt hit .281 with an .814 OPS in 24 games for the North Siders that summer, including one incredible game. In a 14-10 win over the Pirates on Aug. 28 that year, Bethancourt had three hits and turned in the 10th performance on record in which a Cubs player homered, doubled and drove in at least seven runs.