The Cubs had their first workout in spring training Wednesday, as pitchers and catchers officially reported to camp. Most of the offseason focus has been around the additions via free agency to the starting lineup, but the Cubs have also been quietly gathering a large group of pitchers to compete for bullpen spots. That includes the closer position.

This past week, right-hander Michael Fulmer agreed to a one-year deal with the Cubs and according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma, Fulmer will earn $4 million in 2023. Even after Fulmer's signing, there have been follow-up reports indicating the Cubs are still interesting in signing another reliever, most likely a left-handed one.

That brings us to Ken Rosenthal's latest report on Wednesday, when he said the Cubs were one of many teams scouting left-handed reliever Zack Britton, who had a showcase in Florida.

I know Cubs fans are apprehensive nowadays with the new regime that's led by Jed Hoyer. I get it. He has to earn your trust back after so many years of this team not signing a premiere free agent prior to Dansby Swanson, but you also can't ignore the good things that have come with a new group of people running things. The Cubs' pitching infrastructure is leaps and bounds ahead of what it was just a few years ago and the team has a solid run of signing mid-to-low-tier free agent relievers and getting a lot out of them.

And the thing with Britton, obviously he's only seeking a one-year deal because he wants to rebuild his value for one last big contract, is that we're not talking about a guy who was only good 5-6 years ago. Britton re-signed with the Yankees heading into the 2019 season and he's continued to be an elite reliever in a tough environment.

Zack Britton Career Stats

(became full-time reliever in 2014)

2014: 71 games, 1.65 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 76.1 IP, 62 K, 23 BB, 37 saves
2015: 64 games, 1.92 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 65.2 IP, 79 K, 14 BB, 36 saves
2016: 69 games, 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 67 IP, 74 K, 17 BB, 47 saves
2017: 38 games, 2.89 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 29 K, 18 BB, 15 saves
2018: 41 games, 3.10 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 40.2 IP, 34 K, 21 BB, 7 saves
2019: 66 games, 1.91 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 61.1 IP, 53 K, 32 BB, 3 saves
2020: 20 games, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 19 IP, 16 K, 7 BB, 8 saves
2021: 22 games, 5.89 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 16 K, 14 BB, 1 save

Of course, there are red flags, as Britton has broken down and needed Tommy John surgery in 2021.

Zack Britton Injury History

Britton first had injury issues during the 2017 season, making two trips to the injured list because of forearm tightness. However, when he returned he was getting the job done. Unfortunately, Britton didn't pitch for the Orioles again until June 12, 2018, after suffering an achilles injury in December 2017. But once again he came back and was good on the mound. The Yankees traded for him and Britton recorded a 2.88 ERA in 25 appearances with New York to finish the season.

From 2016-18, Britton posted a 1.86 ERA, the lowest mark among all MLB pitchers with at least 100 IP.

In 2021, Britton had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow after a bone chip was discovered on an MRI. He returned in mid-June, but eventually had Tommy John surgery a few months later.

Zack Britton Fits Cubs Bullpen Needs

The biggest selling point to me is that if you're the Cubs, you're only taking a one-year risk. If you sign Britton and he's still not fully back and continues to struggle, then you say oh well, better luck with someone else next year. The reward could be so high with him, though, coming in and bringing a reliever David Ross can trust late in games. Nothing against the pitchers currently on the Cubs' roster, but man there's not a lot of proven guys in the bullpen.

Zack Britton could be the ideal low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Cubs in 2023.