The Chicago Cubs have had Wrigley Field buzzing all season. With a 35-21 record, the Cubs look to have returned to being contenders after a long rebuild that was started in 2021. They employ one of the best offenses in the Majors, with multiple players likely to be selected as All-Stars come July.
Despite a hot stretch from their arch nemesis St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs remain three games ahead of them in the National League Central standings. But their success has not come without a serious Achilles’ heel.
A big area of weakness for Chicago
The pitching in Chicago this season has been less than ideal. Injuries, poor play, and late-game meltdowns have held the Cubs back thus far this season. While the Cubs have been able to overcompensate it for now, that may not always be the case. But it seems like the Cubs are making moves to address this weakness.
As reported by MLB’s Thomas Harrigan, the Cubs are taking a chance on a former division rival by signing Génesis Cabrera to a major league deal.
“The Cubs finalized a Major League contract with left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera on Thursday,” said Harrigan. “Cabrera, 28, was designated for assignment by the Mets on Saturday after making six appearances for the club with a 3.52 ERA in 2025. He elected free agency on Tuesday in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to the Minors after clearing outright waivers.”
The former Cardinal, Blue Jay and Met has tossed 7.2 innings of 3.52 ERA ball this year in New York. These numbers are slightly better than his career ERA of 3.88, although it was a small sample size.
Another Diamond in the rough?
After peaking as a top prospect in the Cardinals system, Cabrera broke out in the COVID-shortened 2020 season with a 2.42 ERA. Add to this his 12.9 K/9, and it’s easy to see why expectations were sky high for the young southpaw. But since then, he has struggled to maintain that level of production with a pedestrian 104 ERA+ since 2021.
Cabrera still features well above average velocity on his fastball at 96 MPH, but this mark is a tick below his career best of 97.7 MPH.
But the Cubs, specifically Tommy Hottovy, have been able to work their magic with recent pitchers to reach their full potential. Take, for example, veteran Brad Keller. His average fastball this season has clocked in at 96.9 MPH, a shocking improvement from his 2024 mark of 93.7. That has directly led to a significant jump in his strikeout rate from 16.7% in 2024, to 25.5% this season.
The Cubs have proven that they can get the most out of pitching reclamation projects this season, and Cabrera could be their next beneficiary.
Regardless if they are able to recapture his 2020 peak, the Cubs need bullpen help desperately. Chicago currently sports the 15th-best Bullpen in terms of ERA (3.83), but this is after a recent hot stretch against subpar opponents.
Additionally, their 1.34 WHIP ranks 18th, and their 171 Strikeouts rank 27th. It certainly seems like a worthwhile investment to add another reclamation protection with high-end velocity to their bullpen.
Besides, what’s the harm if it doesn’t work?
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