Well, the free agent list of top relievers is certainly shrinking and the dreams of getting the best closer in the game can be put to rest if you were still thinking Edwin Diaz was a possibility. Devin Williams is off the board and so is Ryan Helsley, while Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still, there are several free agent relievers available and it sure does sound like the Cubs are itching to sign another one after striking early and getting Phil Maton.
Jed Hoyer was first to speak at the Winter Meetings on Monday and he was pretty forthcoming when discussing the team's interest level in adding more help for the bullpen. As a reminder, after finishing second to the Dodgers last offseason for Tanner Scott, the Cubs acted quickly in November and agreed to a two-year deal for Maton. It was the first multi-year contract the Cubs have given to a free agent reliever since Craig Kimbrel's mid-season deal in 2019.
After years of relying on lower-level free agents, minor league signings and upcoming prospects, the Cubs now seem to have shifted their strategy on their bullpen construction. Hoyer isn't going to pander to fans and say he'll guarantee any specific move, but it seems evident the Cubs will be pursuing another bullpen arm on a multi-year contract.
Via Meghan Montemurro.
After signing veteran Phil Maton, Jed Hoyer believes Cubs will be in market for another high-lev reliever: "Whether we end up signing someone or not I don't know. Depends on how other teams value them, honestly. But we can definitely be in that market & we're obviously going to sign more relievers."
On Tuesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell addressed the bullpen and was critical of the team's poor performance to begin the 2025 season. Maybe the Cubs feel more inclined to sure up the bullpen for the 2026 season after a few years of shakiness from the reliever group coming out of spring training.
Via Jesse Rogers.
Cubs could be looking to spend more on the pen now to remove some doubt later? Here is Craig Counsell talking about last year:
"What we thought about the bullpen going into the season, we were wrong. We were pretty wrong on it. We ended up pitching pretty well but at the start of the season, it wasnt the guys we expected to do it."
So, with a handful of notable relief arms already signed, here are the top free agent relievers the Cubs should target.
1. Robert Suarez
34-years-old (35 for the 2026 season)
2025 stats: 2.97 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 70 games, 40 saves
27.9 K%, 5.9 BB%, 9.1 barrel %, 0.78 HR/9
Contract Projections
MLBTR: 3 years, $48 million
ESPN: 2 years, $25 million
FanGraphs: 3 years, $48 million
The Athletic: 3 years, $54 million
The Cubs have previously been linked to Suarez in trade rumors with the San Diego Padres last offseason. Most recently, Francys Romero mentioned Suarez as a free agent closer to keep an eye on for the Cubs as the Winter Meetings got underway.
2. Brad Keller
30-years-old (31 next July)
2025 stats: 2.07 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 68 games, 3 saves
27.2 K%, 8.0 BB%, 5.8 barrel %, 0.52 HR/9
Contract Projections
MLBTR: 3 years, $36 million
ESPN: 2 years, $22 million
FanGraphs: 2 years, $24 million
The Athletic: 3 years, $30 million
The Cubs found a diamond in the rough with Brad Keller last offseason, picking him up on a minor league contract. The right-handed pitcher resurrected his career with an outstanding year as a reliever and while the Cubs are open to a reunion there has been some chatter of other teams expressing interest in signing Keller as a starting pitcher. That may put Keller out of the Cubs' comfort zone, but the interest should be there following Keller's breakout performance.
3. Pete Fairbanks
31-years-old (turns 32 on Dec. 16)
2025 stats: 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 60.1 IP, 61 games, 27 saves
24.2 K%, 7.4 BB%, 4.8 barrel %, 1.04 HR/9
Contract Projection
MLBTR: 2 years, $18 million
The Cubs have been linked to former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks since the trade deadline. The veteran righty has also been one of the most linked free agent relievers to the Cubs since the beginning of the offseason and while he's received interest from multiple teams he could slot in nicely into Hoyer's preferred price range.
Other free agent relievers who the Cubs may ultimately show interest in could include Kyle Finnegan, Seranthony Dominguez, Luke Weaver and Caleb Ferguson.
