It is evident from the recent additions of Carl Edwards Jr. and Hector Neris that the Chicago Cubs will rely on another strong bullpen to win the NL Central in 2024.
The Cubs have plenty of options for right-handed arms with Javier Assad, Adbert Alzolay, Edwards Jr., Julian Merryweather, and Neris in the mix. However, what is the appearance on the left side?
The Cubs were thin on lefties aside from veteran southpaw Drew Smyly, who was solid out of the bullpen last season with a 2.55 ERA in just under 29 innings. Anthony Kay had a 6.35 ERA in 13 appearances, while Brandon Hughes had a 7+ ERA over 17 games. Luke Little pitched over seven innings without giving up a run, but will he be able to repeat that performance in 2024 with a bigger sample size? Maybe, but the Cubs should prioritise acquiring a left-handed arm before the 2024 campaign begins.
Peralta is coming off the best three seasons of his career so far, posting respectable numbers with the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. Over that span, Peralta has averaged a 2.96 ERA and 1.209 WHIP with 141 strikeouts against 68 walks while holding opposing hitters to a .219 batting average.
The 2023 campaign was arguably the best season of Peralta’s eight-year career. In 63 appearances, he had a 2.83 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 30 walks while holding hitters to a .190 average across 54 innings pitched.
The striking fact about Peralta’s 2023 season—which might be advantageous to the Cubs—is that his ground-ball % was in the 94th percentile. In terms of hard-hit percentage, chase %, average exit velocity, and fastball velocity, he also scored in the 80th percentile or higher.
The four-seam fastball, changeup, sinker, and slider are Peralta’s main pitching weapons. He found that in 2023, the changeup and sinker were his best pitches.
For Peralta, who will be starting his age-32 season, a deal akin to Neris’s would make sense. Add in an opportunity to jump into Tommy Hottovy’s Pitch Lab, and the Cubs could potentially have the most effective left-handed reliever in 2024.
Currently, very few players from the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series winning team are still in the lineup. Pitcher Kyle Hendricks is the only member of that legendary club that is still with the franchise due to trades, free agency, and retirement.
Regretfully, that is the inherent aspect of the sport. These days, almost nobody stays in one place for very long.
But as of this Friday, Hendricks isn’t by himself. In order to strengthen their pitching staff, the Cubs are re-signing a well-known player from that 2016 team.
For Edwards, who made his Cubs debut in 2015 and immediately assisted them in ending their 108-year championship drought the following season, it’s a kind of homecoming. With a 2.84 ERA in the postseason and two outs in the seventh and final inning of Game 7, Edwards was instrumental in that 2016 postseason.
Although Edwards stayed with Chicago through 2019, he has been playing for the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves in recent years.
He spent the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals, most recently. He recorded a 3.07 ERA and two saves in 93 2/3 innings, continuing to be a dependable reliever for the Nationals.
Given his impressive track record, the Cubs are hoping Edwards can continue to be useful and add some depth in the bullpen. He’s back, and that’s a good thing for the time being.
Tyler is a die-hard Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox, having grown up in Massachusetts. He attended Tufts University and was a member of the Jumbos’ club baseball team. He has worked for Forbes, MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel, and The Game Day since graduation. In his free time, he likes to travel, run, and play fetch with his golden dog. He also writes about baseball.
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