advertisement

After being overlooked and underestimated, Cubs’ bullpen will embrace October

During the club’s frequent road trips, a few Cubs relievers routinely meet for breakfast. While sipping their coffee, the conversations inevitably turn toward the game.

It could be a debrief from the night before or a look ahead to the next series. Left-handed pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar, for example, might compare notes on the hitters they will be matched up against. Brad Keller, a longtime starter, has listened and observed, developing a routine that made him one of the most trusted members of the Wrigley Field bullpen.

Within a clubhouse, the complaining happens during the grind of a 162-game season. The constant whirl of travel, training and tension can irritate even the most laid-back personalities. But sitting out there in an enclosed area beneath the left field bleachers, the Cubs have a team within a team, an overlooked group imbued with perspective.

Keller was cut last year by the White Sox, who would go on to set a modern major league record with 121 losses. Thielbar pitched in independent ball during a major league hiatus that lasted five-plus years. Pomeranz, while settled with his family in Southern California last year, contemplated retirement.

“It’s like with a lot of things, you really don’t understand fully until you experience it,” Pomeranz said. “I tell guys this every day: ‘Oh, you think this sucks? You know what really sucks? When you’re at home and you’re not doing this.’”

The Cubs are not going home after Sunday’s Game 162. Playoff baseball returns to the Friendly Confines with a National League Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday afternoon against the San Diego Padres. At a time when starting pitchers do not get pushed deep into games — and Wrigley Field has turned into a difficult hitting environment — this best-of-three matchup could ultimately hinge upon which club has the better bullpen.

In trying to construct a team for October, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stretched far outside his comfort zone last winter, offering Tanner Scott a four-year, $66 million contract, only to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers sign the left-handed reliever to a four-year, $72 million deal that included a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million in deferred money.

In proving a point often made by Cubs officials – relievers’ performances are generally unpredictable and inherently volatile – Scott’s first season with the Dodgers (4.74 ERA) has been a big disappointment.

While Hoyer’s front office took a measured approach at the July 31 trade deadline, Padres executive A.J. Preller continued at a frenetic pace, acquiring All-Star reliever Mason Miller, the sport’s hardest thrower, amid a flurry of deals.

Rather than sacrificing their top prospects, the Cubs continued to add depth to a solid group.

Thielbar, who posted a 5.32 ERA with the Minnesota Twins last season, had signed a $2.75 million contract, applying ideas on how to feature and sharpen his hard slider.

Thielbar, 38, called this the “closest” team he’s ever been on, a throwback group to the way it was before 2020 changed certain habits. The Cubs enjoy leaving the hotel together for team dinners and golf outings.

“It’s just part of life in the big leagues that seems to be forgotten for a lot of guys at this point,” Thielbar said. “COVID kind of ruined a lot of that stuff. A lot of guys like to sit in their room now rather than go out and do things. It’s nice to have a group that actually likes to hang out.”

While the Cubs generally avoid paying for intangibles, Hoyer, manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy have acknowledged the importance of having established relievers who can mentor younger players, show them how to prepare every day and work in a collaborative manner.

Keller, who signed a minor-league deal last offseason, earned his way into Counsell’s circle of trust after an offseason program that streamlined his mechanics and boosted his velocity. In recognizing a versatile pitcher with swing-and-miss stuff and the ability to get ground balls, Counsell used Keller (2.07 ERA) as an opener and a closer, and in all sorts of high-leverage situations.

“Everyone’s willing to ask questions,” Keller said. “We’re not really caught off guard by any situation that comes up. That’s one thing that’s helped me out a ton being down there the first time. They were really good at being like, ‘Hey, this would be a good time for you to go in the game, don’t be surprised.’ Especially early on, when I wasn’t really sure what was going on.”

In finishing with 83 wins in each of the previous two years, the Cubs were thwarted by a bullpen that either wore down near the end of the season or failed in too many clutch moments. In learning more about the club’s personnel, Counsell drew praise from relievers for his direct style of communication as well as an emphasis on rest and recovery.

After putting Jeremiah Estrada on waivers — only to see him blossom later in San Diego — the Cubs exhibited more patience as Daniel Palencia tried to harness his 100 mph fastball. Three pitchers added at the trade deadline — Andrew Kittredge, Michael Soroka and lefty Taylor Rogers — could also be X-factors in the playoffs.

“You just never know what’s going to happen,” said Thielbar, who posted a 2.64 ERA in 67 appearances. “We have good players, but guys have been healthy, for the most part, and performing. We’ve had some really good years from a lot of guys. That’s what it takes to make it.

“It’s not always having the best players. That obviously helps, but the team aspect of it is a big thing, too. Hopefully, that camaraderie can help us make a run when these games get real tough and your back’s against the wall.”

That pressure is what Pomeranz, 36, missed. He had come up as a first-round pick and a highly regarded prospect, earning an All-Star selection as a Padres starter in 2016 before getting traded to the Boston Red Sox. He later returned to San Diego on a four-year, $34 million deal that demonstrated the increasing value the baseball industry saw in elite bullpen talent.

He earned that contract off a strong showing with the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2019 trade deadline. Counsell, Milwaukee’s manager at that time, repeatedly put Pomeranz in positions to succeed, using him almost exclusively as a reliever.

Pomeranz, though, struggled to stay healthy, which led to him not pitching in the majors during the 2022, 2023 or 2024 seasons. Counsell’s recommendation and Hoyer’s diligence led the Cubs to acquire Pomeranz (2.17 ERA) from the Seattle Mariners’ Triple A affiliate in April.

“Outside of baseball,” Pomeranz said, “you can find things that connect you with people here and there.”

But nothing quite matches baseball’s immersive culture and relentless demands. When asked if he plans to pitch again next year, Pomeranz was noncommittal, because looking that far ahead would go against the group’s ethos.

“We’ll see what happens,” Pomeranz said. “Honestly, I’m just enjoying this. I tell guys all the time: ‘Appreciate this stuff for what it is, because when you’re home on your couch, you’re going to wish for anything close to this.’

“The boos, the cheers, it doesn’t matter. The good, the bad, you’re going to wish for something, which is what I wished for last year — just to be a part of (it). I don’t care if I suck. I just want a chance to do it. That’s what I’m focused on right now.”

© 2025 The Athletic Media Company. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by New York Times Licensing.