With pitchers and catchers reporting next month, the Chicago Cubs still need to add a couple of arms to their bullpen for the 2025 season. Not many relievers on the free agent market have been signed, which gives the front office plenty of chances to bring in the pieces needed to put the team in a position to compete this season.
Out of all the options remaining, an old friend could be of help to the Cubs this year.
The Chicago Cubs could look to sign David Robertson
Robertson coming to Chicago would be a reunion for the veteran right-hander. After spending the 2024 season with the Texas Rangers, Robertson is in search of a new home for 2025. He spent part of the 2022 season with the Cubs before being traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ben Brown.
Robertson made 36 appearances out of the Cubs bullpen in 2022 and had a 2.0 WAR. He posted a 2.23 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP across 40.1 innings tossed as Chicago’s primary ninth-inning option prior to the deadline.
While things have changed on the coaching staff and slightly in the front office over the past two years, Robertson’s success in the Windy City could make the Cubs look his way in 2025. Robertson’s familiarity with the organization could also bode well if they do look to pursue him in the coming weeks.
The right-hander did alright for himself in his lone season with the Rangers. Robertson appeared in 68 games and tossed 72.0 innings in 2024. He finished the year with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP as a consistent option for the defending World Series champions.
David Robertson would help young bullpen arms on the Chicago Cubs
The Cubs bullpen was a complete roller-coaster a season ago. The coaching staff entered the season riding high with how Adbert Alzolay finished 2023 as the team’s closure. Alzolay did not show any signs of his old self once the 2024 season got underway and found himself on the IL which ended his season after a brutal first month.
Young right-hander Porter Hodge eventually got the reigns in the dog days of the summer and made a name for himself as a potential future asset to end the season. The 23-year-old made 39 appearances out of the bullpen and possessed a staggering 1.88 ERA in 43.0 innings tossed. Hodge collected nine saves in his first big league stint to pair with his 0.88 WHIP.
Despite the success from Hodge at the end of last season, he can’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders entering 2025. A veteran presence or two is needed at the back end of the stable to provide the insurance and depth that Chicago did not have a year ago.
Along with the idea of bringing Robertson aboard, arms like Kirby Yates or Kyle Finnegan are guys that the Cubs should be looking into adding. After last year’s bullpen collapsed time and time again, the lesson has been learned that you can never have enough help in relief.
Even if Hodge is the long-term answer in Chicago as their closer, it would not hurt to bring in a mentor or two to help him deal with all of the aspects that come with being a big-league stopper. Robertson’s price tag shouldn’t be too obnoxious, and his connections to the Cubs make him a suitable candidate to join the bullpen ahead of the 2025 season.
This Chicago Cubs star heaps praise on his new teammate
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