The Cubs keep finding new ways to make late innings feel like a full-blown emergency, and the bullpen is right at the center of it.
Since the trade deadline - and especially over the past month - Chicago’s relief corps has been the kind of group that turns a manageable lead into a tense, ugly finish. Aaron Civale has been the only Cubs reliever to consistently post positive results since the start of August, which is a telling detail when he’s also been used as a multi-inning mop-up arm and in semi-leverage situations this year.
That’s the problem in a nutshell: there just isn’t much Craig Counsell can lean on. Jacob Webb hasn’t had it.
Caleb Thielbar has been bad all year long. Ryan Zeferjahn arrived at the deadline as the bullpen upgrade, but he has faded in most of the high-leverage spots he’s been asked to handle.
Daniel Palencia might still figure things out with three weeks left in the regular season, but time is running out.
Tuesday’s loss was the second straight game in which the Cubs held a late lead and the bullpen couldn’t finish the job. Monday played out a little differently - Zeferjahn entered with no outs and two runners in scoring position in the eighth - but the result was the same. The Cubs have been unable to stop the bleeding, prevent the big inning, or keep that extra run from scoring, and it’s been costing them for the past month.
For a while, Webb looked like one of the few arms Counsell could trust. He didn’t allow a run over 24 straight games, a stretch that covered nearly two months, before Randy Arozarena’s walk-off homer on Aug. 22 seemed to knock him off track. Since then, Webb has given up multiple runs in four of his last six appearances.
That skid includes three blown saves, and each one landed in the most painful way possible: the Cubs were leading in the ninth inning with two outs. Webb gave up walk-off home runs to the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks in back-to-back outings, then Tuesday night Jackson Chourio tied it with a homer.
Three blown saves, three Cubs losses.
Right now, this doesn’t look like a bullpen with a closer or even a dependable setup man. Maybe Ryan Rolison is the only other true high-leverage reliever Counsell trusts at the moment.
The standings give the Cubs some breathing room, but not much. Entering Wednesday’s series finale against the Brewers, they were three games ahead of the Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card spot, which effectively plays like four because Chicago owns the tiebreaker. The Phillies were sitting a half-game ahead of the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot, and the Cubs also hold that tiebreaker.
With 16 games left, the Cubs can’t afford many more nights like this. In the bullpen and in the standings, no lead feels safe.
In Other News...
Cubs Suddenly Have A Real Ian Happ Decision To Make
Ian Happ has been a fixture for the Cubs for years, but the post-deadline version of the roster has shifted his place in the lineup in a noticeable way. Since the trade deadline, he has been used more like a platoon player, even as he has still supplied plenty of value with 23 home runs and a Gold Glove case in the outfield. The larger question for Chicago is not whether Happ can still help a club, but whether his current production matches the kind of long-term commitment he once looked set to command.
Tyrone Taylors strong showing since arriving gives the Cubs a real alternative to consider, which is why Happs offseason outlook feels less certain than it did a few months ago. His overall offensive profile remains useful, but a 106 wRC+ sits below his usual standard, and that gap matters when a front office starts weighing roles and contract priorities. Chicago could still add a veteran outfielder on a short-term deal, but the way the roster has settled leaves Happ facing a decision point the Cubs have not really had to make before. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Closing In On A Dansby Swanson Boost At Perfect Time
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Recent signs point toward a possible ramp-up soon, with Swanson potentially beginning a rehab assignment or even returning to game action as early as next week. For the Cubs, the appeal is obvious: getting a defensive anchor and familiar bat back would help at exactly the moment the bullpen has become a concern, and any extra stability in the final stretch could matter a great deal as October draws closer. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face A Tough Seiya Suzuki Decision As Interest Builds
Interest around Seiya Suzuki is picking up at just the moment the Cubs would prefer some clarity. Philadelphia has a clear need for a right-handed hitting outfielder, and Suzuki fits the kind of profile that can draw attention quickly after a strong recent stretch. His career-best 4.7 bWAR this season only sharpens the appeal, especially for a contender looking to plug an important lineup spot with a player who brings both production and balance.
For the Cubs, the question is less about Suzukis value than what comes next if the market keeps moving. A player who has settled in as a real weapon in the outfield does not stay under the radar for long, and the Phillies' interest adds another layer to a decision Chicago has to weigh carefully. Whether Suzuki stays put or lands elsewhere, this is the kind of offseason spotlight that can shape more than one clubs plans. [Read more 🡒]