While more still needs to be done, the Chicago Cubs are filling out the rest of their Spring Training roster with their latest addition. On Monday, the team signed Ben Heller to a contract.
The signing is minimal, as Heller’s time with the Pirates was abysmal. An 11.25 ERA should warrant no excitement by all means. It’s a “shot in the dark” for the Cubs to see if they can get anything out of him.
His Triple-A numbers tell a different story. During his time with the Indianapolis Indians, the righty had a solid 3.16 ERA. If he can show any of that consistency during Spring Training, then he’ll certainly have a great shot at breaking camp in the bullpen.
Significant additions still need to be made in the Cubs’ bullpen. Now that Cody Bellinger is gone, it’s up to Jed Hoyer to use that newfound payroll flexibility. The team should be going for it, not resting on its laurels.
As the calendar switches to 2025, the clock is ticking for additional reinforcements to the bullpen. Especially given how active the free agent market has been this offseason.
It will be interesting to see how the team solves its bullpen woes. While the team’s track record is certainly there with giving pitchers late careers, they can’t always rely on that method.
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