CBS Predicts Cubs To Land High-Prized Reliever

It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs need some pitching help this offseason. 

The Cubs need both rotation and bullpen help before the 2027 season begins. 

Losing five starters from a season ago puts the North Siders in a weird spot this winter. Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Clay Holmes, Matthew Boyd, and David Peterson are all free agents and could find new homes in the coming weeks/months. 

Along with that rotation need, the Cubs could look to add some high-quality relievers on the open market. The bullpen struggled much of last season and dealt with several injuries to relievers expected to be key contributors (Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey). 

Those bullpen struggles last year could force president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to go against his usual spending habits to pay big for a top-of-the-line reliever. Hoyer already showed last year that he’s willing to give relievers a multi-year contract in the right scenario. 

Well, what better way to improve the bullpen than by signing one of the best left-handed relievers in all of baseball? 

Adrian Morejon is a free agent this offseason after three straight elite seasons out of the San Diego Padres bullpen. 

The southpaw posted a 2.83 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate over 63 ⅔ innings pitched in 2024. He finished with a 2.08 ERA and a 24.5% strikeout rate over 73 ⅔ innings pitched in 2025 and had a 2.83 ERA and an elite 30.4% strikeout rate over a career-high 86 innings pitched this past season. 

If the Cubs are truly looking to improve their bullpen this offseason, Morejon is the perfect pickup. He’s coming off an all-around dominant 2026 campaign in which he finished in the 99th percentile in expected ERA (2.34), 93rd percentile in expected batting average against (.195), 99th percentile in chase rate (38.6%), 97th percentile in whiff rate (34.2%), and 99th percentile in barrel rate (2.8%). 

Even though Hoyer has been a bit hesitant to pay relievers big contracts in the past, CBS Sports predicts the southpaw to land with the Cubs this offseason. Both Mike Axisa and Matt Snyder have the North Siders signing the dominant left-hander. 

“There are already rumblings that Morejon wants to start in 2027 and I reckon more than a few teams will be willing to give him that opportunity,” Axisa wrote. “The Cubs need all kinds of pitching, both starters and relievers, and can make it work even if Morejon can't hack it as a starter and needs to return to the bullpen. Regardless of role, he's an excellent pitcher, and few teams need as much pitching as the Cubs this winter. It's a perfect match.”

It all comes down to whether the Cubs are willing to spend big money of a reliever. Spotrac lists Morejon’s market value at three years, $35.8 million. That $35.8 million would be the biggest contract the front office has given out to a reliever since Craig Kimbrel in 2019 ($43 million).