Cubs’ Bullpen Outlook Could Depend On 1 Bounce-Back Candidate

The Chicago Cubs' 2025 relief corps was one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball.

The Cubs were expected to have one of the better bullpens last season. And while their 3.78 ERA in the regular season put them at No. 11 in MLB, this solid statistic is made even more impressive when one considers who was leading their relief efforts.

The signings of Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz in free agency were little more than afterthoughts last winter. However, these two guys ended up being key pieces in Chicago's bullpen. What's more, Daniel Palencia ended up being a very solid closer for the club.

Daniel Palencia | David Banks-Imagn Images

While Palencia's 1-6 record during the regular season and his brutal 11.57 ERA in his last seven appearances don't look great, the bottom line is that he posted a respectable 2.91 ERA and tallied 22 saves in 25 opportunities.

Palencia wasn't supposed to be the Cubs' closer in 2025. Instead, many felt like Porter Hodge was the main candidate to take over in the ninth inning for Chicago. But this is not what happened. Hodge (who posted a stellar 1.88 ERA, tallied 9 saves, and got 52 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched in his rookie 2024 season) struggled immensely in 2025.

Porter Hodge Called Cubs' Top "Bounce-Back Candidate"

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Porter Hodge (37) pitches during a September 10, 2025 game | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Hodge posted a 6.27 ERA in 36 appearances, and only threw a total of 33 innings because he missed a lot of time with an oblique injury. But Hodge wasn't throwing many meaningful innings for his club by the end of the season and didn't make a single appearance in the postseason.

This is a large reason why Jordan Bastian of MLB.com called Hodge the Cubs' top "bounce-back candidate" for the 2026 season.

One major reason why Hodge received this distinction is that the Cubs didn't manage to sign any of the many closers who became free agents this offseason. While they've added Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Hoby Milner, and Jacob Webb, and also re-signed Caleb Thielbar, the expectation is that Palencia will be Chicago's closer come Opening Day 2026.

Porter Hodge, Wicked Sweepers, 🤢 pic.twitter.com/2jPFkx7XNn
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2025

One would imagine that Palencia will have a relatively short leash, given how his 2025 campaign concluded. And if Hodge can show that he is back to his 2024 form earlier in the season, he'll be the most likely potential replacement for Palencia.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Craig Counsell manages his relief corps at the start of next season.

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