The Chicago Cubs have had a busy offseason, especially by Cubs standards.
Separate trades for a pair of Houston Astros standouts– right fielder Kyle Tucker and closer Ryan Pressly– showcased an uncharacteristic aggression in pursuing high-end assets.
The front office also went about acquiring other pieces to fill holes, such as rehabbed lefty starter Matthew Boyd, catcher Carson Kelly, utility infielder Jon Berti, and relievers Eli Morgan, Caleb Thielbar, and Ryan Brasier, among others.
The Chicago Cubs Offseason Has Been A Busy One
And, apparently, the Cubs might not be done with the major moves. Rumors abound regarding their possible acquisition of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman and a possible trade for San Diego Padres ace starter Dylan Cease.
While these two gigantic pickups may or may not come to fruition, there’s still a smaller move or two to make to shore up the team’s status as a postseason contender. Notably, there’s the fact that, as of right now, there’s only one lefty arm projected to be in the opening day bullpen lineup. Most recently, left-hander Rob Zastryzny was designated for assignment to make room for Brasier.
One More Move To Make?
The Cubs would certainly be well-advised to at least look into southpaw bullpen piece as soon as possible.
Chad Jennings of The Athletic feels that the well-traveled Jalen Beeks would fit that bill perfectly.
Per Jennings:
“Recent trades for Ryan Pressly and Ryan Brasier have given the Cubs some much-needed help in the late innings, and a late deal with Beeks would give them another experienced reliever who’s been everything from a long man to a closer. Beeks would also give the Cubs some left-handed balance in their pen. Caleb Thielbar is their only lefty at the moment.”
The 31-year-old Beeks– who has spent time with the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, and Pittsburgh Pirates– hasn’t exactly put up sparkling numbers over the course of his six-year major league career. With a lifetime 4.40 ERA in 202 big league games and a career 1.421 WHIP, he, admittedly, hasn’t been a shutdown monster.
However, he has shown an ability to be a solidly predictable, league average, mound presence. On occasion, he has also shown signs of being something significantly better. In 2022, for instance, he posted a 2.80 ERA in 42 games with the Rays.
A Lefty Workhorse For The Bullpen
Last season, the Rockies, who had used him as a part-time closer, dealt him at the trade deadline to the Pirates, where he put in a solid rest-of-the year, finishing with a 3.92 ERA in 26 games. He also established himself in the 2024 season as a bullpen workhorse, appearing in a 71 games, combined, for this two teams.
Beeks was a 2014 12th-round draft pick of the Red Sox and he got his first call-up in 2018. Shortly after that, he was traded to the Rays, where he pitched through the 2023 season, missing all of 2021 with injury. He was then picked up off waivers by the Rockies prior to the 2024 season.
The importance of the Cubs having another left bullpen piece shouldn’t be overlooked. Beeks is projected by Spotrac to have a market value of 2.8 million, but, as spring training is pretty much here, one would expect that Beeks’ particular asking price to be considerably less than his previously stated worth.
At the very least, Beeks is a low-cost option the Cubs might want to look into for an already-overflowing bullpen.
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