The Cubs have been anticipated to make strikes to bolster their bullpen this offseason even after buying right-hander Eli Morgan from the Guardians final month, and two names have emerged that Chicago has reported curiosity in. Jon Morosi of MLB Community writes that the Cubs are among the many groups with curiosity in left-hander A.J. Minter, whereas ESPN’s Jesse Rogers notes that the membership has spoken to right-hander Kyle Finnegan.
Minter, 31, is among the winter’s extra attention-grabbing free agent relievers. The southpaw broke out with the Braves throughout the 2020 season and has been one of many higher lefty aid arms in baseball since then with a 2.85 ERA and an identical 2.84 FIP in 243 innings over the previous half-decade. In that point, he’s struck out 30.1% of his opponents whereas strolling 7.8%. Amongst lefty relievers with at the least 200 innings of labor because the begin of the 2020 season, Minter’s 3.05 SIERA ranks third within the majors behind solely Josh Hader and Taylor Rogers.
That monitor document would seemingly be sufficient to line him up for one of many extra profitable aid contracts of the offseason, however Minter’s free company is difficult by a troublesome platform season. In 2024, Minter managed a stable 2.62 ERA however noticed his strikeout price dip to simply 26.1% whereas his FIP ballooned as much as 4.45 due primarily to a rise in house runs allowed. Extra problematic for Minter than these steps backward in peripherals, nevertheless, was the season-ending hip surgical procedure Minter underwent again in August. Latest reporting has indicated that it’s not but clear whether or not Minter might be able to pitch on the outset of the 2025 season, a actuality that might forged a shadow over his free company if groups imagine he’s ticketed for a considerable early-season absence.
As for Finnegan, the 33-year-old has spent all 5 seasons of his huge league profession with the Nationals however was non-tendered by the membership final month. After impressing in his 2020 rookie marketing campaign with a 2.92 ERA in 25 innings, Finnegan stood because the membership’s main nearer all through their current rebuild. He racked up 88 saves over the subsequent 4 seasons, pitching to a 3.62 ERA that was 13% higher than league common in 265 2/3 innings of labor throughout that point regardless of a considerably lackluster 4.28 FIP.
Regardless of his gaudy save totals, which features a 38-for-43 document (88.4% conversion price) in save conditions this previous season, Finnegan’s numbers forged him as extra of a center reliever than a real nearer. He’s struck out simply 23.3% of opponents during the last 4 years whereas strolling 9.3%, and whereas his 47.5% profession groundball price is actually above common it’s not precisely distinctive as Finnegan ranks simply twenty second amongst relievers with at the least 200 innings of labor because the begin of the 2020 season by the metric. In that very same timeframe, Finnegan’s 3.86 SIERA is nicely beneath common for a reliever and ranks simply fifty fifth amongst 70 qualifying relievers.
With that being mentioned, Finnegan’s considerably middling numbers all through his profession might make him comparatively inexpensive on the open market, and the Cubs’ hesitance in recent times to decide to dear ensures for relievers might cause them to be intrigued by the upside supplied by a hurler who averaged 97.4 mph on his fastball final yr and presents late-inning expertise that might profit a principally younger bullpen that at the moment options Porter Hodge as its prime excessive leverage possibility after the righty posted a dominant rookie marketing campaign in 2024. Minter, in contrast, figures to a land a more healthy assure as long as his market isn’t depressed by the well being query marks surrounding him. MLBTR predicted the lefty to land a two-year, $16MM assure as a part of our annual High 50 MLB Free Brokers listing, the place he ranked thirty fourth.