Chicago Cubs Seen as 'Perfect Fit' for All-Star Closer to Bolster Bullpen

If the Chicago Cubs want to add another bullpen arm before spring training, this free-agent right-hander would be a place to start.

Sep 13, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) delivers a throw during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It has been a busy offseason so far for the Chicago Cubs with the team eyeing a postseason run in 2025.

After two straight years with 83 wins, the Cubs made a few notable moves this winter to hopefully change their fortunes. The biggest splash was the acquisition of Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

The blockbuster deal gave Chicago a true superstar and a player that they hope will be the missing piece for success. However, while there is some risk to the Tucker trade with him being in the final season of his contract, it was a solid move by the Cubs.

While adding a slugger and a star in the lineup was a need coming into the offseason, so was improving their bullpen. Early on in the offseason Chicago was able to start those improvements by trading for Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians.

Bolstering a bullpen that was one of the worst in the league was certainly a top goal, and adding Morgan was a good start. However, another arm of too would be beneficial for Chicago.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Cubs as a perfect fit for All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan. He highlighted that while Chicago has made some improvements to the bullpen, some more improvements can still be made.

Rymer sees Finnegan as "closer insurance" in case Porter Hodge can't do the job long-term.

Finnegan becoming a free agent wasn’t something that many expected coming off an All-Star campaign in 2024 with the Washington Nationals. However, the Nationals elected to non-tender his contract, and he hit the open market.

The veteran right-hander is an interesting free agent to evaluate this winter. On the surface an All-Star closer from the year prior should garner a ton of interest. However, he struggled in the second half of the season with an ERA over 5.00.

Since he doesn’t have electric stuff, that regression in the second half is certainly a reason to be concerned. Furthermore, he has been a solid pitcher in his career, and while he might not be an All-Star caliber closer ever again, he has a good amount of experience finishing out games.

For a bullpen that will likely be going into the season relying on a young relief pitcher in Hodge to close games, having veterans around him who have done it can be helpful in case he struggles.

Since Chicago is certainly in a win-now mindset, adding another high-leverage arm to their bullpen like Finnegan makes a lot of sense.