Chicago eyes bullpen stability as veteran hurlers Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, and Drew Pomeranz begin their organizational debuts, signaling a potential late-season surge for the North Siders.
The Chicago Cubs have signed three veteran pitchers to Minor League deals over the last six weeks.
They signed Liam Hendriks back on May 16, agreed to terms with Aaron Bummer on June 1, and signed Drew Pomeranz last week. The Cubs are hoping all three veterans can provide some bullpen help at some point this season.
The Cubs have brought all three pitchers along slowly since signing them. Hendriks and Bummer spent multiple weeks not pitching in any games and just working on things at the team’s Spring Training complex, while Pomeranz was immediately assigned to the ACL Cubs on June 22.
However, all three pitchers have made their organizational debuts recently. Here’s how Hendriks, Bummer, and Pomeranz have fared in those outings.
Liam Hendriks
Hendriks opted out of his deal with the Minnesota Twins before the regular season after he learned he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster. He had a 3.86 ERA across seven innings pitched in Spring Training and remained a free agent until the Cubs picked him up.
The three-time All-Star closer spent roughly five weeks down at the team’s Spring Training complex in Arizona before appearing in a game. He then made his Cubs’ Minor League debut on Friday at the rookie ball level.
Hendriks threw one scoreless inning with two strikeouts against the ACL Rockies. The veteran right-hander threw nine pitches (seven strikes) and faced the minimum in his one inning of work. His next outing is expected to come at Triple-A.
Aaron Bummer
The Cubs signed Bummer following his release from the Atlanta Braves in mid-May. The southpaw really struggled in his 19 appearances with the Braves, posting a whopping 7.63 ERA and a 1.826 WHIP across 15 ⅓ innings pitched.
But the North Siders signed him to a Minor League deal in hopes of finding that old form. Bummer had a combined 3.69 ERA and a 25.1% strikeout rate across the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Bummer spent a few weeks working on some things down in Arizona. The 32-year-old eventually made his organizational debut on June 20 and appeared in another game with the ACL Cubs this past Friday.
He has thrown two scoreless innings with two hits allowed and three strikeouts in his first two appearances. His next outing will come at Triple-A Iowa.
Drew Pomeranz
The Cubs quickly snatched up Pomeranz once he became available in free agency. The veteran left-hander was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on June 15 and was released a few days later after going unclaimed on waivers.
Although Pomeranz is in the midst of a poor season (5.01 ERA and 1.586 WHIP), the North Siders are obviously very familiar with the southpaw. He had a career-best season with them in 2025, in which he finished with a 2.17 ERA and a 1.067 WHIP across 49 ⅔ innings pitched.
Pomeranz spent about a week down in Arizona before appearing in a game with the Iowa Cubs on Sunday. The 37-year-old threw one scoreless inning with one walk and two strikeouts against Triple-A Buffalo.
The Cubs might want to see a few more outings from Pomeranz at Triple-A before promoting him to the active roster. However, the former All-Star could make his season debut with the team very soon.
