The Cubs’ offseason could come down to one bold swing, and it’s not hard to see why the bullpen is at the center of it.
Jed Hoyer is expected to make starting pitching the main priority this winter, but Chicago can’t treat the rest of the roster like an afterthought. The market is expected to move fast before the anticipated Dec. 2 lockout, and that means the Cubs have to stay active on multiple fronts, including the bullpen and the outfield.
That’s where Adrián Morejón enters the picture.
Morejón was one of the eight players to receive a qualifying offer, alongside Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki. Both players are positioned to land well above the $23.15 million value attached to that offer, but if they decline, they’ll head into free agency and give their former clubs at least some compensation for the loss. At MLB Trade Rumors, the prediction is that Morejón could wind up in Chicago.
Two of the three MLBTR experts project the Cubs to sign the left-hander, with the lone dissenting pick sending him to the Dodgers. The projected deal is massive by Cubs standards: five years, $80 million, which would be the largest free-agent contract in franchise history for a reliever.
That kind of agreement would mark a real break from how Hoyer usually operates. It would also be a sign that the Cubs are done trying to patch the bullpen together on the cheap.
The need is obvious. In 2026, Chicago’s bullpen was pushed into roles that didn’t fit, and the result was predictably uneven.
Jacob Webb is the clearest example: he surged into the closer role, then faded late in the season. Hoyer already brought him back for 2027, but the expectation is that Webb should be working in the seventh inning, not handling the ninth.
Morejón would change that immediately. He has established himself as one of the game’s top late-inning arms with the Padres, and his 2026 numbers were eye-catching: 11.2 K/9, 2.37 FIP and 86 innings. He also won’t turn 28 until next year, which makes a five-year commitment easier to justify even if the price is steep.
For the Cubs, the appeal is simple. Morejón would give them a real answer in the ninth inning and bring a level of stability they’ve chased for what’s felt like years. And if Hoyer is serious about fixing the bullpen, this is the kind of move that says the club is ready to stop settling for half-measures.
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Cubs Interest In Tarik Skubal Raises A Frustrating Offseason Question
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For a team still looking to strengthen its rotation, the appeal is obvious. The frustration is just as clear, because the Cubs acknowledge they may not be able to keep pace with the kind of bidding that figures to come from clubs such as the Dodgers and Mets before the Dec. 1 lockout. That leaves Chicago weighing ambition against reality, and wondering whether being linked to the markets best pitcher will amount to anything more than a brief, expensive flirtation. [Read more 🡒]
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Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Cubs have interest in Skubal, but the expected cost could be the sticking point. A deal in the range of more than $300 million would put Chicago in a difficult spot, especially with the Dodgers and Mets also looming as major players in the chase. For the Cubs, it is the kind of decision that could define not just the offseason, but the direction of the rotation for a long stretch beyond it. [Read more 🡒]
Druw Jones Is Giving Diamondbacks Fans Another Reason To Believe
The minor league Gold Glove awards handed out this week were a reminder that defensive value still matters, even in an era when prospect buzz often starts and ends with the bat. Among the nine winners recognized across different farm systems, the list included some of the games more closely watched young talents, from Franklin Arias to Josiah Hartshorn and Caden Bodine, but Druw Jones stood out for a different reason. He was honored for the second straight year, a sign that his glove continues to travel well as he works his way through the minors.
For Diamondbacks fans, that kind of consistency is easy to appreciate because Jones has long been viewed as one of the organizations most intriguing long-term pieces. The offensive upside will always be part of the conversation, but awards like this keep reinforcing the idea that his defensive profile is already carrying real weight. Arizona is still waiting to see how all of it comes together, and this latest recognition gives the fan base another reason to keep believing there is more coming. [Read more 🡒]