THE Chicago Cubs have missed the playoffs for the past four straight years and since a return to the NLCS in 2017 following the 2016 World Series triumph, the team hasn’t even won a playoff game, twice falling to the Wild Card in their only two playoff series. appearances since.

Jed Hoyer knows things need to improve if he wants to keep his job beyond 2025, but what strategy he takes this offseason remains a question. Obviously the team wants to pitch in both starting and in the bullpen, but latest reports indicate despite the lack of success over the years, Chicago will not be a serious competitor for top talent on the open market and, unsurprisingly, will look to the second and third tiers.

Hoyer himself said earlier this month When it came to the bullpen, he thought it was more about depth than talent, which can basically translate to telling fans not to hold their breath when the Cubs spend money. money for an elite reliever. But despite all that, Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein still predicts Chicago will sign. Philadelphia Phillies All-Star bullpen arm Jeff Hoffman to a three-year contract worth $33 million.

“Predicting reliever contracts is generally a fool’s errand, as years and AAV can vary wildly. Jeff Hoffman is coming off a fantastic last few seasons with the Phillies, where he had a 2.28 ERA in 122 appearances. ” Finkelstein wrote. “In recent years, we’ve seen Taylor Rogers and Robert Stephenson sign three-year, $33 million contracts. Hoffman could be in line for a similar salary this winter and the Cubs could use a top reliever range to build their enclosure around.

The Cubs spending a lot of money on the bullpen doesn’t seem very likely, but with Hoyer facing serious pressure for the team to start winning games and be a factor in October, perhaps he will change of cap and will decide that Chicago needs a legitimate shutdown man. in relief appearances.

Hoffman posted the best season of his eight-year major league career in 2024 with a career-low 2.17 ERA over a career-high 68 appearances and 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings , good enough for 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings, another mark that was the best he ever posted.

He would be a wonderful addition to the Cubs bullpen if the team was willing to hand over the money, but that’s an entirely different discussion.