Chicago Cubs need to sign veteran reliever now more than ever

Sunday marked an utterly embarrassing collapse for the Chicago Cubs bullpen in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The team was on the brink of winning their opening series in the U.S. this season after they took two of the first three games. Kyle Tucker’s second home run of the season in the top of the eighth made it 6-2 and set the bullpen up nicely to get the final six outs of the game to secure the series victory.

An eight-run bottom of the eighth inning for Arizona against three different Chicago relievers wrote the story for the Cubs en route to a 10-6 loss. It was right-hander Eli Morgan that got roughed up the most as he allowed six earned runs in his third outing with the organization. Morgan was the first off-season addition made to the bullpen back in November when he was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. 

Chicago has dealt with bullpen struggles and collapses over the past two seasons, and the hope was that this past offseason would put these issues in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, Sunday was a story that Cub fans have seen play out time and time again, with the realization being that nothing has changed with the bullpen in 2025.

There is still a familiar name on the open market that the Cubs front office could go out and get to try and fix their early bullpen struggles.

The Chicago Cubs need David Robertson as soon as possible

David Robertson shockingly hasn’t been added to an MLB organization for the 2025 season. 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 and now the number five starter in Chicago’s rotation.

Robertson spent 2024 with the Texas Rangers and put together a solid season in the American League. He appeared in 68 games and pitched in 72.0 innings. The veteran finished the campaign with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP for a team that struggled to defend their 2023 World Series crown.

The 39-year-old didn’t have a bad enough 2024 season not to be on a roster at this point, with April on the horizon. He has proven to be a guy who can step in and make a difference in high leverage situations. Robertson did so when he served as the closer in Chicago for part of the 2022 season, and his production matches exactly what the team could use right now.

David Robertson would be another veteran presence in the bullpen

Jed Hoyer went out and acquired Ryan Pressley and Ryan Brasier in separate trades this past offseason to help the back end of the bullpen. It appears that the veterans who were brought in to accompany young right-hander Porter Hodge could use an extra arm already.

Brasier is currently on the Injured List, and Pressley had a slip-up in Saturday night’s 4-3 win as he allowed two runs in the ninth inning. As all Cubs fans have learned over the past couple of seasons, it doesn’t hurt to have as much help in relief as possible. There is no reason why they shouldn’t give Robertson a chance at some point in the near future.