Cubs Have Clear Pivot After Losing Luke Weaver To Mets

There's a lot of intrigue regarding how the Chicago Cubs will retool their bullpen this offseason.

The Cubs had a staggering number of players become free agents after the 2025 season ended, including Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz, Aaron Civale, Taylor Rogers, Ryan Brasier, Michael Soroka, and Brad Keller.

While Chicago re-signed Thielbar on December 16 and acquired Phil Maton a few weeks ago, Pomeranz signed with the Los Angeles Angels, and Keller signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, which means the Cubs will be without two of their most impactful bullpen pieces.

With this many relievers entering free agency, there was no doubt that the Cubs would be active in signing guys this winter. In a December 17 article, Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote that he sees the Cubs as former New York Yankees closer Luke Weaver's best fit.

However, news has since broken that Weaver has signed a two-year deal with the New York Mets, which means that he is no longer available for Chicago to pursue.

Cubs Could Pivot to Pete Fairbanks After Luke Weaver News

New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) reacts after retiring the side on April 15, 2025 — Apr 15, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There's no question that Weaver made a lot of sense for Chicago to pursue. But now that the Weaver is no longer an option for the Cubs, it will be interesting to see whether they try to sign another closer like Pete Fairbanks (who is the only potential ninth-inning option available) or if they'll be content with Daniel Palencia as their closer for the 2026 season.

The Athletic's Cubs insider Sahadev Sharma asserted that the Cubs have "kept tabs on" Fairbanks throughout free agency in a December 9 article, which suggests he would be their best pivot option if they do want to add a closer.

“Fairbanks to me, is far and away the best reliever left on the market…”@Feinsand mentions the Phillies, Cubs, Mets and Yankees among plenty of teams showing interest in free agent reliever Pete Fairbanks. pic.twitter.com/NM9eL2YQEV
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 17, 2025

Fairbanks became an unrestricted free agent this offseason after the Tampa Bay Rays declined his team option for the 2026 season. He had been with the Rays since 2019 and produced a 2.83 ERA and secured 27 saves in 32 opportunities (he made 61 appearances overall) during their 2025 campaign.

There's also a case to be made that Chicago will stay content with Daniel Palencia as their closer and instead add several middle-inning relievers instead of paying top dollar for a closer like Fairbanks.

Regardless, if they do want to pursue Fairbanks, they'll need to act quickly, as teams that are looking for a new closer now have few other options aside from him, which means that he's likely to sign a deal soon.

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