Cubs Failing To Address This Need Will Lead To Season Becoming a Disaster

If the Chicago Cubs don't address this glaring need on their roster, their season could turn sour quickly.

Apr 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) delivers against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Wrigley Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have done a great job of righting the ship after their tough start to the 2025 MLB regular season in the Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After losing those two games, they returned domestically and have gone 9-4, putting themselves atop the National League Central.

However, if they want to remain in that spot, the team needs to be aggressive in seeking out upgrades on the mound.

Making changes this early in the campaign is easier said than done, but their depth, or lack thereof, has already turned into a major need that has to be addressed before the MLB trade deadline.

The starting rotation is in trouble with Justin Steele joining Javier Assad on the injured list. They were already dangerously thin before losing their co-ace.

Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown and Matthew Boyd are the only starters the team has right now. Colin Rea or Brad Keller could be stretched back out as both have experience being starters.

More than likely, bullpen games will be on the horizon for manager Craig Counsell to navigate through.

“And in Steele's stead, they called up Ethan Roberts to help out with what figures to be a lot of bullpen games for the foreseeable future,” wrote Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report in a piece highlighting 10 teams who already have major needs to address ahead of the deadline.

With Ryan Brasier out indefinitely because of a groin strain, the bullpen is lacking key components as well.

Adding more help to the bullpen was going to be on the to-do list during the season, given the pieces the team had at the onset. Now, it is a truly pressing need, one that has to be addressed sooner rather than later.

That is before even taking into consideration how shaky their biggest offseason acquisition for the relief staff, veteran Ryan Pressly, has been.

Acquired from the Houston Astros in a separate deal from Kyle Tucker, he waived his no-trade clause in part because he would get to be a closer again with the Cubs.

He has converted all three save chances he has had, but his statistics are not pretty. He is walking a ton of batters with six in 7.0 innings and he has only two strikeouts with 11 hits allowed.

Luckily for Chicago, they have a closer in waiting ready to assume the role at any point in Porter Hodge.

He has been their best relief pitcher to this point and it seems like only a matter of when, not if, he takes over the closer’s role.

But it will require more than just Hodge to get things right in the bullpen.

The Cubs cannot afford to wait too long as their pitching is currently enough of a problem to cause a slide in the standings if not addressed appropriately.