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The Rundown: Let’s Construct a Bullpen, Horton Ready to Build on ‘Whirlwind’ Rookie Season, Blue Jays Tie Series

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 29, 2025

“From Meccano to Legoland, here they come with a brick in their hand, men with heads filled up with sand.” – Build by The Housemartins

Let’s have a little fun and try to construct Chicago’s frugal-but-potentially-dominant 2026 bullpen. Jed Hoyer needs 10-12 players to complete his roster, and the bulk of those additions will most likely be cheap relievers.

“Off the top of my head, I’d say you’re looking at a Boesky, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever.” – Brad Pitt as Rusty in Ocean’s 11.

  1. I think we all agree the Cubs need to bring back Brad Keller as a setup man for Daniel Palencia. Keller will be 30 next year and was nearly elite in high-leverage situations. He’ll be much more expensive than the $1.5 million he cost Chicago in 2025.
  2. Drew Pomeranz is 37 but was equally dominant last year. We’d be lying to ourselves if we said we didn’t expect some regression, but he thrived under Craig Counsell. He’s not going to get a two-year deal elsewhere, so stay in Chicago on a one-year deal for the right money, though retirement is an option.
  3. Andrew Kittredge has a $1 million buyout on a $9 million club option. His 30.8% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate, and 49.2% ground ball rate say he’s worth keeping at the price. That said, Hoyer could seek a two-year deal that lowers the righty’s AAV. His age (36) makes it a little risky, but he’s shown no signs of diminishing.
  4. Jalen Beeks is a reliever who could interest the Cubs and someone who could thrive in Chicago. The lefty fanned 20.3% of his opponents with an 8.7% walk rate in 2025. Beeks also threw to a 3.77 ERA and 4.01 FIP over 57.1 innings. Those numbers would look a lot better were it not for back-to-back stinkers in August against the Marlins. The 32-year-old surrendered eight earned runs while facing 12 batters across two appearances.
  5. Keep an eye on Ryan Helsley, who did nothing to improve his market value after being traded from the Cardinals to the Mets. The 31-year-old pitched to a 7.20 ERA after the swap, music to Hoyer’s ears if you consider Helsley’s track record. Why? The righty struck out 34.6% of the batters he faced from 2022-24, logging 167.2 innings through those three seasons with a 1.83 ERA. Jed loves his reclamation projects and Helsley comes with all the earmarks of a reverse regression candidate. His velocity is mostly still there, as his 99.3 mph average this year was only a slight drop from his 99.7 mph peak. That velo may get the veteran a two-year deal, but he was just bad enough to come carrying a caution (read: discount) sign.
  6. Hoyer also loves guys who have the necessary tools to be elite with a mechanical tweak or two. Enter former White Sox starter Michael Kopech. The 29-year-old has always had impressive stuff, if not nearly elite. This was kind of a lost summer for Kopech, who was acquired by the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline but had four stints on the IL, limiting him to 11 regular-season innings. His walk rate has always been a little high, but he punched out 31.5% of batters faced in 2024. Kopech will get a one-year pillow contract at most, but is probably looking at a minor league deal with a spring training invite. Like Kopech, Michael Soroka is an option in the same mold.
  7. I’m only adding Devin Williams because of Counsell’s familiarity with the former Brewers closer. Williams was traded to the Yankees last year, after which he pitched to a 4.79 ERA and lost his role as New York’s fireman. However, he’s just 31 and his ERA was inflated by bad luck. Williams finished with a slick 2.68 FIP that was ever-so-slightly above his career norm. His 55.2% strand rate further suggests he was as dominant as ever. I’d roll the dice on a two-to-three-year deal with an opt-out if Williams could be had at $11.5 million or less per season. That’s probably a little high for Hoyer, but it’s less than the reported offer he made to Tanner Scott last year.

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

I watch baseball to see my team win, so to me, this is a bad take. I couldn’t care less about anything else.

Central Intelligence

World Series News & Notes

Shohei Ohtani didn’t get a full night of sleep after the 18-inning game on Monday, and it showed in his 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays last night. The series is knotted up at two games apiece, and Toronto took back home-field advantage.

Before last night’s game, Magic Johnson compared Ohtani to legendary superstars Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a record-setting home run off of Ohtani in the 3rd inning. Guerrero’s seven postseason home runs are more than any Blue Jays player has hit, surpassing Joe Carter and José Bautista with six apiece.

Shane Bieber delivered one of his better postseason performances just when Toronto needed it most.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated he will make multiple changes to his lineup for tonight’s tilt in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers need a Game 5 win to avoid losing two in a row, which would force them to win back-to-back in Toronto.

Marlins Man took some heat for recording every extra-inning at bat from behind home plate in the Game 3 marathon.

Wednesday Stove

Of the 10-15 Tommy John surgeries Dr. Christopher Ahmad performs, between eight and 10 are on high school athletes, with some even still in middle school. Ahmad, the Yankees’ team physician and an expert in TJ surgery, claims this is a relatively new but disturbing phenomenon.

Schwarber and Cal Raleigh were named the Players’ Choice Players of the Year award winners in the National and American leagues.

The agent for Emmanuel Clase said the star reliever “doesn’t bet.”

The Red Sox are expected to pursue the top available arms in trade and free agency this winter.

MLB sponsorship revenue was up 9% this year, exceeding $2 billion in partnership income.

Extra Innings

Catcher Owen Ayers is another Cubs prospect to keep tabs on. He’s a long way from the majors, but comes from a baseball family and shouldn’t be counted out. The 2024 19th-round draft pick has been lighting it up in the AFL.

Apropos of Nothing

Tarik Skubal still holds the lead for most strikeouts (36) in this year’s playoffs. He hasn’t pitched in over two weeks.

They Said It

  • “I had a little bit of success, a little bit of failure, saw where I was and what I needed to improve on. Knowing there was going to be a lot of work and it’s not something that’s going to be given to me, so it just helped me understand what I needed to do to get to where I want to be.” – Ayers
  • “Chicago. It was a dang good year. We reached heights we haven’t gotten to in far too long. We got better, we grew, we represented what it means to be a Cub. There may have been pain in the end, but that’s what makes the triumphs sweeter when they happen. Another chapter is done, but there is many more to be written. Thank you Wrigley!” – Swanson

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

Some songs from the 1980s still feel timeless, and this is one of them.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 29, 2025
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