Cubs re-sign veteran reliever Caleb Thielbar |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
Don't look now, but the Chicago Cubs bullpen is starting to round into form. Despite the offseason being relatively slow for most teams, including the Cubs, Jed Hoyer did indicate how crucial it was for them to get the bullpen right again this season and that they would indeed be in the market for relief arms.
You have seen that since day one, with Phil Maton and Hoby Milner added to the mix, but apart from that, the Cubs haven't done much to improve/add to their pen for 2026. Well, if Tuesday is any indication of what is to come, Hoyer at the very least would love to bring some of last year's arms into the mix as veteran left-hander Caleb Thielbar and the Cubs have agreed to a new deal that will keep him in Chicago for another season. Thielbar was signed to a one-year deal in 2025 as a partial reclamation project and wound up being one of the Cubs' best arms in the bullpen from start to finish. For the Cubs' sake, they hope he can do that again, even if some regression comes with it. Primarily a consistent and excellent reliever who has posted a 3.26 ERA since joining the league in 2013, Thielbar's journey has been anything but normal as he found himself out of the league after just three seasons. It took him five years to return, getting back on a big league mound in 2020, where he once again started to show his overall value out of the pen. Even with a 5.32 ERA in 2024, which led many to believe his days as a reliable arm were behind, it was his worst season to date, as Thielbar has never been above 4.00 in any other season in which he has pitched at least 25 games. Talk about being one of the more underrated and underappreciated arms in the game, not only are the Cubs glad they took a chance on him last season, but they are glad to have him back for 2026, as he, at the very least, will help them solidify the back end of their pen and can be used both against lefties and righties. To show how good he was last season, all you have to do is look at his 2.64 ERA in 67 games, compiling 58 innings. That included a September ERA north of 5.00, as Thielbar struggled a bit down the stretch before getting back into his groove come the playoffs. Take that rough month away, and he was hovering at or even under the 2.00 mark most of the season as he quickly became one of Craig Counsell's most trusted arms out of the pen. Always known for good command, Thielbar walked just 13 batters in his 58 innings, striking out 56 in the same aspect. Not bad for someone who only throws around 92-93 MPH, as he has never been a guy capable of blowing hitters away. What he does well is locate his pitches and change speeds, as his 77 MPH breaking ball is considered one of the more elite curveballs in the game. That will be the key to Thielbar's success again this season, as he will need to locate that pitch to succeed. As good as he was a season ago, there are some concerns heading into this season, with his age being the biggest. Thielbar will be 39 years old when the season starts, which isn't ideal for a reliever, but as you have seen in the past, most relievers can last until their 40s as long as they can have success. Thielbar has, without question, had success, but some might be wondering when that success will end, as his age has to catch up to him at some point. September is the biggest key to all of that, as he went from practically an unhittable reliever most of the time to being a liability the final two weeks, only to get it back again. Whether that was from being overworked during the season or his age finally catching up to him remains to be seen, but Thielbar is at the very least worth another deal even if some regression is expected. Like most deals, this one is pending a physical with the financial figures yet to be announced. Once that happens, you can expect somewhere in the five- to six-million-dollar range for one season, which is a good investment for the Cubs bullpen.
