Cubs Lose Key Reliever To Los Angeles Angels In Free Agency

There have been plenty of questions surrounding what the Chicago Cubs' bullpen would look like by the time opening day rolled around, as the majority of their elite relievers became free agents when this season came to a close.

The Cubs' pen was easily one of the best in baseball last year, with four pitchers posting sub-3.00 ERAs by the time the year was done. While management has been clear that they will try to keep the heart and soul of their relief corps, Drew Pomeranz will no longer be one of them.

Drew Pomeranz signs with Angels

First reported by Ari Alexander of 7News Boston and later confirmed by multiple sources, Drew Pomeranz has signed a 1-year deal with the Angels. The deal is reportedly worth $4 million.

Source: LHP Drew Pomeranz and the #Angels are in agreement on a 1-year deal. pic.twitter.com/t9yZhrqZTQ
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) December 17, 2025

Pomeranz finished 2025 with a 2.17 ERA in 57 appearances to complement his 1.07 WHIP for the Cubs.

He was not just a key arm during their 92-win season, but also in their playoff run as he stepped on the mound in six of their eight games and posted an unfathomable stat line with a 1.50 ERA, 0.17 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .053 batting average.

Losing Pomeranz is a significant loss for the Cubs, and replacing him will be a tall task.

Who do the Cubs still have to lock down?

Brad Keller throwing a pitch out of the bullpen for the Cubs at Wrigley Fiel — David Banks-Imagn Images

Brad Keller is the first name that comes to mind as a player who was on the 2025 roster who is still up for grabs. By the end of September, he had been used the most out of any reliever on the team and finished with a team-best 2.07 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 69 innings.

Daniel Palencia is the last arm in the bullpen that ended the year with an ERA under 3.00, as his stat line read: 2.94 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 52 innings.

MORE: New Kyle Tucker Contract Projection Points To Unexpected Opening For Cubs

The final piece to what was their four-man monster was Caleb Thielbar who the Cubs rightfully signed back just today. A huge win for the bullpen, and even though they have acquired both Hoby Milner and Phil Maton, their work isn't quite over yet.

There isn't an organization in baseball that can't value from having extra arms in the pen and that includes the Cubs. The loss of Pomeranz is big to their current task of building a pitching staff but there are still arms to go after and they need to be aggressive. The time is now.

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