Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer often takes a pragmatic approach through the grind of a long regular season.
Avoiding riding the highs and lows too much is inherently part of the job, especially when Hoyer and the front office attempt to assess the team’s flaws and needs. Although the trade deadline is still two months away, early signs indicate it’s trending toward a seller’s market, which could complicate the Cubs’ efforts to improve the roster.
“The way it is now, there’s just not that many teams that appear to be in that position, some years it’s pretty obvious, and this year is less obvious,” Hoyer said. “Ultimately, it is going to be somewhat seller’s-market dependent. If there’s none of one of those things available (between starting and relief pitching), then you have to zag a little bit, and you have to be prepared to do that. And that could be the nature of this market.”
The Cubs bullpen has been at its best this month, with a third-ranked 2.76 ERA, despite dealing with injuries to the staff involving Justin Steele (season-ending elbow surgery), Javier Assad (left oblique strain), Tyson Miller (left hip impingement) and Eli Morgan (right elbow impingement) on the 60-day injured list and Shota Imanaga (left hamstring strain) and Porter Hodge (left oblique strain) on the 15-day IL.
Imanaga underwent a rigorous routine pregame Wednesday to test his hamstring by throwing a bullpen, fielding work and running. Manager Craig Counsell expects Imanaga to repeat that this weekend if he feels well Thursday before hopefully going to Arizona at some point during the Cubs’ upcoming trip for the next steps in his rehab process.
The last two weeks entering Wednesday’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies has seen the group especially effective. In the Cubs’ last 12 games dating to May 14, the bullpen has posted a 1.03 ERA — five earned runs in 43 2/3 innings — the lowest mark in the majors in that span. Amid that stretch, the bullpen has surrendered two runs in an outing only twice and held opponents scoreless in eight of those games.
The emergence of left-hander Drew Pomeranz and right-handers Brad Keller and Daniel Palencia in high-leverage spots has been incredibly valuable. Pomeranz, acquired in a minor-league deal last month, and Keller, a spring nonroster invite, have been among the Cubs’ more impressive developments.
Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021, hasn’t allowed a run in his 14 outings (12 2/3 innings) while giving up only four hits, three walks and striking out 14. Among big-league relievers (minimum 10 games), Pomeranz is one of just three to post a 0.00 ERA, and his .098 opponent average (4-for-41) is the lowest. Palencia has earned a save in three consecutive outings and held the opponent scoreless in 13 of his last 14 games (1.29 ERA). Keller hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 15 outings (17 innings), his longest streak as a reliever.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve overachieved there, I wouldn’t,” Hoyer said of their back-end relievers. “We have some solid arms. We have really good defense that helps that. … We’ve had some significant injuries in the rotation. Our guys have stepped up pretty well. Now we have to continue that.”
Veteran reliever Ryan Pressly understands what it takes for an organization to make a run to the postseason and ultimately end the year as champions. Pressly was part of three World Series teams in Houston, winning the title with the Astros in 2022, and has seen glimpses of what makes those squads special within the Cubs clubhouse.
He joked that the Cubs bullpen has a bunch of old guys hanging out but noted how experience can rub off on younger players. The Cubs have a lot of that on the roster with multiple players, including Pomeranz, Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker, who know how to build a winning tradition.
Stretches like the one the Cubs are experiencing — they entered Wednesday 13 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 17, 2019 — and the way they have reached this point behind a deep, consistent lineup and pitching depth that has stepped up has created some magical moments through the first two months.
“There’s things that happen throughout the year that you’ll see some things will just go your way,” Pressly told the Tribune on Wednesday. “Like Seiya (Suzuki’s home run) the other day when we’re playing in Cincinnati, you just had a feeling. And then you turn around and look up and you’re playing in the postseason — you realize everything makes sense, like it was our year.
“And I’m not saying that right now, but to this point, the Cubbies are a good team. This could very much be LCS championship, in the World Series. We’ve got to go out there and put it all together.”
