The Chicago Cubs will need to pivot again in the relief pitching market

Free agent reliever Carlos Estevez inked a contract on Wednesday to join the Kansas City Royals bullpen. The Chicago Cubs losing out on another bullpen arm on the open market leaves them stuck yet again looking for answers. The addition of Ryan Pressly in a trade with the Astros has the Cubs situated in the ninth inning entering 2025 and Porter Hodge’s end to 2024 gives the staff another late-inning option this season as well.

The depth of this Cubs bullpen is extremely important for the season after seeing how things fell apart last year. Hector Neris and Adbert Alzolay were the late-game arms entering the year and they are now both on different teams heading into this season.

Upon the list of free agent choices that remain for Chicago, a former friend remains available and an under-the-radar right-hander is around as well.

David Robertson remains on the market for the Chicago Cubs

Through all of the signings made this offseason on the relief pitching front, Robertson remains on the market. He spent part of the 2022 season with the Cubs before being shipped to the Phillies at the trade deadline in exchange for Ben Brown who was a highly ranked prospect in their system at the time.

Robertson made 36 outings out of the Chicago stable in 2022. He posted a 2.0 WAR and a 2.23 ERA to go along with a 1.04 WHIP. He tossed in 40.1 innings as the Cubs’ go-to guy in the ninth frame before being traded away by the organization.

Despite how things have changing internally over the past two years, Robertson’s success in in Chicago could draw the Cubs’ attention to him for 2025. Having Pressly and Hodge around would make his role in the bullpen completely different from his first time around in Wrigleyville.

Robertson spent 2024 with the Texas Rangers. He put together a solid season in the Lone Star State, as he appeared in 68 games and tossed 72.0 innings. He finished the year with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP as a consistent option for the defending World Series champions.

2014 first-rounder could join David Robertson with the Chicago Cubs

Dillon Tate has not be a name connected to the Cubs, but that could change shortly. The former first-round pick missed the entire 2023 season with a forearm strain and returned nicely with a solid body of work in 2024. Tate was able to make 29 appearances out of the Orioles bullpen before joining the Toronto Blue Jays.

With Baltimore last year, Tate possessed a 4.59 ERA in 36.3 innings pitched with a 2-1 record. One of the few statistics that did not favor the right-hander in his time with the Orioles was his 1.41 WHIP, the worst mark in his career.

Tate would be a different type of signing for Chicago compared to Robertson. He wouldn’t cost the front office a lot of money and would be a total upside play. Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy has had his fair share of reclamation projects over the years, with Tate being a potential addition to that list.

Guys like Tyson Miller and Julian Merryweather came to Chicago with the stuff to be very good and Hottovy was able to unlock that out of them. As long as they are healthy, they will be consistent contributors this year. If that transformation can be seen in Tate, it would be hard to pass up on a chance to bring him in to see if it would work out.