There was considerable uncertainty about how the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen would shape up by Opening Day, especially with most of their top relievers set to hit free agency at the end of the season.
Chicago’s relief unit ranked among the best in baseball last year, as four pitchers finished with ERAs under 3.00. Although the front office has emphasized its intention to retain the core of the bullpen, Drew Pomeranz will not be part of those plans.
First reported by Ari Alexander of 7News Boston and later confirmed by multiple sources, Drew Pomeranz has signed a 1-year deal with the Angels.
Pomeranz wrapped up the 2025 season with a 2.17 ERA across 57 outings, along with a stellar 1.07 WHIP for Chicago.
He wasn’t just vital during the Cubs’ 92-win regular season — he was instrumental in the postseason as well. Pomeranz appeared in six of the team’s eight playoff games and delivered remarkable numbers, compiling a 1.50 ERA, an absurd 0.17 WHIP, and limiting hitters to a .053 average.
His departure represents a major blow to the Cubs’ bullpen, and finding a suitable replacement will be no easy feat.
Who do the Cubs still have to lock down?
Brad Keller is the first name that comes to mind as a player who was on the 2025 roster who is still up for grabs. By the end of September, he had been used the most out of any reliever on the team and finished with a team-best 2.07 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 69 innings.
Daniel Palencia is the last arm in the bullpen that ended the year with an ERA under 3.00, as his stat line read: 2.94 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 52 innings.
The final piece to what was their four-man monster was Caleb Thielbar who the Cubs rightfully signed back just today. A huge win for the bullpen, and even though they have acquired both Hoby Milner and Phil Maton, their work isn’t quite over yet.
There isn’t an organization in baseball that can’t value from having extra arms in the pen and that includes the Cubs. The loss of Pomeranz is big to their current task of building a pitching staff but there are still arms to go after and they need to be aggressive. The time is now.
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