Chicago Cubs bring back former bullpen arm for 2025

The Chicago Cubs front office is shoring up the bullpen with a plethora of options before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 9. Ryan Pressly coming over from the Astros in a trade to be the newest Cubs closer is the biggest move that has been made to the bullpen over the past few seasons, but more needs to be done to solidify the group for 2025.

One issue that remains a focus for the Cubs with the current state of their bullpen is their left-handed depth. Luke Little is one of the few notable lefties who could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but his health issues and inconsistency in general on the mound raise some concern from the coaching staff.

In an effort to address the left-handed relief pitching depth in the organization for Spring Training, the Cubs agreed to a deal with an arm who has experience pitching at the big league level with the club.

The Chicago Cubs have signed Brandon Hughes to a minor-league deal

Patrick Mooney reported that the Cubs agreed to a minor league deal with Hughes on Friday. The left-hander spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Chicago at the big league level and found plenty of success in his first season with the team.

In 2022, Hughes tossed in 57 games out of the Cubs bullpen and held a 3.12 ERA. He threw 57.2 innings with a 1.09 WHIP and he finished the campaign with a 2-3 record. Hughes was a bright spot of a Cubs bullpen that saw plenty of turnover from the season prior. David Robertson was the team’s closer until being sent to Philadelphia at the trade deadline for Ben Brown.

Hughes used his slider to be extremely effective in his first MLB season, and it was a big reason why he earned an opportunity to be on the roster right out of the gate in 2023. Unfortunately for the former Michigan State Spartan, his second year with the Cubs didn’t go according to plan. He had a 7.24 ERA in 17 outings out of the bullpen to go along with his brutal 1.61 WHIP. Hughes dealt with multiple injuries in 2023 but was still able to toss 13.2 innings in those 17 games.

He had similar struggles with Arizona in 2024, posting an 8.15 ERA in 15 appearances for the Diamondbacks. Hughes’ 1.93 WHIP in the desert was by far the worst in a season in his career and is a major reason why a minor league deal was the best he could do ahead of 2025.

Hughes should not be the last lefty the Chicago Cubs pursue

The Hughes signing is a pure flier for the Chicago Cubs. The front office still needs to find an option who will be a guarantee to make the Opening Day roster and they could turn to another familiar face in free agency to fill that need.

Andrew Chafin spent parts of 2020 and 2021 with the Cubs before being traded to Oakland at the 2021 deadline. Chafin showed out in a big way out of Chicago’s bullpen in the first half of the 2021 season. He made 43 appearances and finished his time in Wrigleyville with a 2.06 ERA. Chafin’s 39.1 innings on the mound came with an impressive 0.84 WHIP that earned him a trade to a contender.

The career journeyman has bounced around over the past couple of seasons, but his familiarity with the Cubs could be a reason why he comes back to serve as a stable left-handed option for the team in 2025.