Jed Hoyer went into last offseason with a clear bullpen mission and spent a combined $17,000,000 on Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey and Hoby Milner to try to stabilize the back end for the Chicago Cubs. That plan has unraveled fast.
Milner was released in late August and had not appeared in a major league game since June. Harvey’s 2026 season ended after one week in April.
Maton has struggled on the mound and also landed on multiple IL stints. Add in the constant injuries across the pitching staff, and the Cubs have been left scrambling for answers in the final stretch of the season.
The situation has pushed Hoyer toward a much bigger offseason swing. Daniel Palencia cannot be counted on as a sure thing, and Jacob Webb, while more good than bad overall, has hit a rough patch that has exposed the bullpen at a bad time.
One name that could command serious attention is San Diego Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon. An MLB executive told FanSided that Morejon could land a contract similar to the four-year, $60 million deal Robert Suarez received from Atlanta last winter, and it would not be surprising if the number climbs even higher. If the Padres attach a qualifying offer, that only adds another layer of complexity.
Even the $60 million range would put the Cubs in uncomfortable territory. Chicago rarely goes that high on a multi-year deal for a starting pitcher, much less a late-inning reliever.
Hoyer has built a track record of finding value in unexpected places, but this season has shown the danger of leaning too hard on breakout arms to carry the load over a 162-game season and into October. The Cubs have money coming off the books, and the front office faces a major task in reshaping the pitching staff.
If Chicago wants to take advantage of its current window, a big-name arm like Morejon may have to be part of the answer.
In Other News...
Cubs Just Made A Pitching Move That Changes Bullpen Questions
The Cubs pitching mix got a notable shuffle this week with Edward Cabrera coming off the 15-day injured list and joining the bullpen for the stretch run. Chicago is making the move with October in mind, giving the right-hander a shorter workload role after his return while trying to preserve enough depth for the final push.
Trent Thornton, meanwhile, goes on the 15-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, and his absence is expected to last until at least the end of the regular season. For a bullpen that has already had to manage moving parts, the timing matters, since Cabreras arrival helps answer one question even as Thorntons setback opens another. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face A Matt Shaw Decision That Could Reshape Their Offseason
The Cubs spent the early part of the offseason trying to balance an obvious need for pitching with the kind of roster flexibility that can keep a contender afloat, and Matt Shaw sits right in the middle of that calculation. Trade speculation around Shaw has picked up since Chicago signed Alex Bregman, but the front office still appears to view him as a possible starting outfielder next season, with the chance to step into a larger role if Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ moves on in free agency.
Shaws appeal is easy to understand: he can fill different spots, he comes with team control, and he gives the Cubs a cost-controlled option on a roster that will likely need help elsewhere. That also makes him exactly the type of player other clubs would want in a trade, especially if Chicago decides the cleanest path to fixing the staff runs through moving a young bat. For now, though, the Cubs seem likely to weigh whether Shaws value is higher as part of the lineup or as currency for the pitching they still need. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Still Have A Phil Maton Problem They Can't Escape
Phil Matons season with the Cubs is ending the way so many of his recent weeks have gone, with the right-hander headed for knee surgery and out for the rest of the year. He has been on the injured list since July because of knee tendinitis, and the club has already acknowledged that there will be no late-season return to sort through.
The Cubs are expected to share more once the procedure is finished, including the surgery details and a recovery timeline. For now, it leaves another reminder of how difficult this stretch has been for Maton, whose uneven season never really gave Chicago the bullpen help it was hoping to get when it brought him in. [Read more 🡒]