Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Could Add All-Star Reliever, Bolster Bullpen

The Chicago Cubs need bullpen help and one former MLB All-Star, who is available, could help.
Kade Kistner|
Chicago Cubs Could Add All-Star Reliever, Bolster Bullpen
Chicago Cubs Could Add All-Star Reliever, Bolster Bullpen

In this story:

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs bullpen has been lackluster this season. The unit sits at 19 in the league in ERA at 4.18 and has been the cause for late-game breakdowns. 

There could be a solution to help bolster the bullpen right now that would not cost prospects or involve a trade. 

That solution is signing former MLB All-Star and 31-year-old Corey Knebel. 

Knebel is a free agent and is coming off of a significant injury that saw him miss much of the 2022 MLB season. He spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and compiled a 3.34 ERA over the course of 44.2 innings pitched before he was shelved. 

Knebel signed last season on a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies, and seeing as he is coming off of a significant injury, the price for this season would seemingly be much lower. 

He is a right-hander, something Chicago has plenty of, but Knebel's pedigree, power fastball and veteran presence could help prop up a struggling Cubs bullpen.

It's an acquisition at least worth exploring. 

More From SI's Inide The Cubs

  1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Chicago Cubs?
  2. Did David Robertson Net the Cubs a Future Star in Ben Brown?
  3. Hoerner is the Cubs Shortstop of the Future
  4. Cubs Could Give Canario a Shot in September
  5. Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
  6. Chicago Cubs Have a New Top Prospect in Their Rankings
  7. Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
  8. Steele Offers Glimpse Into Future of Cubs Rotation
  9. Do the Chicago Cubs Have the National League's Best Bullpen?
  10. Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field
Published
Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

Home/News