Sad news: ‘This is the end of the road for me.’ Chicago cubs Pitcher ShotaS Imanaga in tears as he announces his….

After ending their second consecutive season with an 83-79 record and missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, the Chicago Cubs are entering the summer earlier than they had hoped.
The bullpen is one of the main areas where the team can make improvements if they want to get things right and become a consistent postseason team, let alone a serious challenger for the championship.
The Cubs’ bullpen ERA placed them in the middle of the pack in all of Major League Baseball. Without a genuine closer, they converted on fewer than 60% of their save attempts, which isn’t exactly the mark of a contending team.

Regarding the bullpen, there are a few names that could help make things better, at least temporarily.

A possibility that carries a lot of risk because of his age and injury history is that he has had one of his best seasons and has performed at his peak during the playoffs.

Chicago should target Los Angeles Dodgers veteran reliever Blake Treinen in free agency this winter, according to Zachary Rotman of FanSided.

“For this 36-year-old, it truly boils down to health. For the majority of his ten-year career, Treinen has been a high-end reliever, as seen by his 2.78 ERA,” he stated. “He just needs to accept responsibility. Given his injury history, there is some inherent danger, but his skill level overcomes that risk.

The good news about a guy like Treinen is that he won’t likely demand a huge long-term contract because he is already 36 years old and will be 37 by the 2025 season.

His market value is now estimated by Spotrac to be $2.4 million for a one-year deal, but as bids start coming in, he’s sure to get considerably more.

The bad news is that his injury history raises serious concerns.

After being nothing short of spectacular in 2021, Treinen missed the most of the 2022 season and the entire 2023 campaign due to a variety of shoulder ailments. He replied with an incredible 2024 performance after the Dodgers had enough faith in him to hold onto him through injuries thanks to his 1.99 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 72.1 innings over 72 appearances.

During the Dodgers’ current World Series run, Treinen converted many big save opportunities and struck out 56 batters in 46.2 innings in 50 appearances this season, recording a 1.93 ERA.

If the Cubs are prepared to outbid other teams for Treinen’s services this winter, he is a talent who might dramatically revamp their bullpen.