Through 55 games this season, the Chicago Cubs are not only 34-21, but they also lead the NL Central. That is an accomplishment in itself, considering the schedule they have gone through and the injuries they have dealt with. However, at some point, you knew the injuries would start to pile up, and the loss of Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga are starting to be too much for this team as Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Cade Horton aren’t going to be enough to make a deep run.
The Cubs have also seen their share of bullpen struggles again, with the closer position being the most obvious need for the pen. They traded for Ryan Pressly in March with the hopes of him rediscovering his old form in Houston. Pressly not only gave the Cubs stressful outings after stressful outings, but he eventually lost his closer role after imploding against the Giants in extra innings.
That gave the job to Porter Hodge, who, although he has had his struggles this season, may have the best pure stuff of anyone in the pen. Hodge is now on the IL with an oblique injury, as the Cubs have had to return to the drawing board. Given who they currently have in the pen, Brad Keller, Daniel Palencia, and Drew Pomeranz make a ton of sense for the short-term closer role, but look for Craig Counsell to go with a closer by committee based on who has the hot hand.
The Cubs can get by with that during this soft portion of the schedule, but they will need a lot more when things get tougher if they want to hold off the St. Louis Cardinals. Given the reports surfacing out of Chicago, not only does everyone expect the Cubs to be in the market for a starter at the deadline, but they are also likely to target a lockdown closer, as this has been a long-standing need for several years.
Mason Miller is a name everyone would love to see, but the package that the Cubs would have to give up is going to be massive, so don’t expect the Cubs to give up that much for a closer. Even if Miller is off the board, there are several other options out there for the Cubs, and three of them make the most sense, given where their teams are currently in the standings.
Felix Bautista
One name mentioned as recently as Friday during the Cubs broadcast against the Reds was Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista. The 6-8 right-hander is an imposing figure on the mound who has amassed 126 innings since the 2022 season. During that time, Bautista emerged as a lethal late-inning arm, accumulating a 1.85 ERA, 198 strikeouts, 14 holds, and 48 saves.
Remember that he consistently sits in the 98-100 MPH range with his heater, and it’s easy to see why he is an intimidating pitcher. Coming off the season the Orioles had in 2024, no one expected him to be available; however, this season, the Orioles have taken a massive nosedive, opening the door for moves to be made.
What makes him an intriguing option is that he missed all of 2024 with Tommy John and recovered in time to return to the Orioles’ pen this season. Out of everyone in the Orioles’ pen, he has been the most consistent option and arguably one of two guys who can be trusted.
Pete Fairbanks
Another team that has struggled out of the gates this season is the Tampa Bay Rays, which could open the door for them to sell some of their higher-priced players. That happens when you are a small-market team, and Pete Fairbanks is a name to watch with the Rays this summer.
Since the 2020 season, the 6-6 31-year-old right-hander has played a massive role in the Rays’ bullpen’s success, as he has spent time as the setup guy or the closer. In 235 games since 2019, Fairbanks has a 3.20 ERA, with 71 saves, 33 holds, and a career strikeout rate of 31%. Those are all outstanding numbers, and the strikeout rate alone would make him the best pitcher in the Cubs’ pen.
As with every pitcher, Fairbanks has some injury concerns, having been injured four times since 2023. However, when healthy, he has been nails on the mound, and that alone might be enough for the Cubs to take the risk. Fairbanks is under contract through 2025 with a club option for 2026 worth $7 million. The guy would be an excellent fit for the Cubs with his high groundball rate (51.8% this year) and his ability to generate strikeouts, and he could solve the Closer issue for the next two seasons.
Kyle Finnegan
One name linked to the Cubs all offseason was Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, who returned to Washington after a career year. Here we are, nearly two months through the MLB season, and Finnegan is not only mentioned as a deadline candidate but will hear his name linked to the Cubs again.
A bit of a late bloomer, the 33-year-old didn’t make his MLB debut until 2020 and has become one of the more underrated closers in the game. Armed with a fastball in the 95-97 MPH range, Finnegan has four straight seasons of logging at least 63 innings pitched with a sub-4.00 ERA under his belt. He also has 39 holds and 103 saves as a National during that time, and he had no trouble pitching in high-leverage spots.
Signed to a one-year deal for 2025, many thought this was more of a rental piece for the Nationals and that he would be traded away at some point. Through his 19 appearances this season, Finnegan has posted an ERA of 2.41 and is tied for second in the league with 15 saves. Despite his strikeout rate falling to 21.5%, Finnegan has seen his groundball rate increase to 47%, while his velocity still sits at 96 MPH.