A sometimes bi-weekly assessment of how confident I’m feeling when the Cubs call on each member of their bullpen. These assessments are often not completely rational. The ratings are based around how much each reliever causes my hair to turn grey or even fall out.
The “circle of trust” of Cubs relievers has shrunken down to nearly a dot. A bullpen that has fought admirably though injuries and ineffectiveness has shown signs of breaking down in July, posting a 6.03 ERA, and allowing runs in 9 of 10 games.
I wrote about the increase in the use of “disposable” pitchers in baseball, poninting out the 13 relief pitchers added and then removed from the 40-man roster. And I’m sure my next post will have 2 or 3 new names, with players coming and going.
This is probably as bad I’ve felt about a bullpen since starting this blog, but with a couple of trades and returns from injury, it could be completely turned around.
Red means a player has dropped
Green a player has moved up
Blue a player stayed the same
Orange the player is new
No gray hair (extremely high confidence):
No one here at the moment.
Specks of gray hair (high confidence):
And for the first time since I started doing this, there is no one in this spot as well. Rolison and Webb have had some shaky outings lately that have dropped them down to the next tier
Some gray hair (medium confidence)
–Jacob Webb– Webb has jumped over Rolison, as he’s gone 9 straight games without allowing a run. But he’s allowed baserunners in 7 of those games, and in the 3 previous games, he allowed 5 runs. I’ve still been pleasantly surprised by his 2026 performance, but would feel much more comfortable if he was at the back end of the bullpen, instead of an 8th or 9th inning guy.
–Ryan Rolison– Rolison had an amazing run, giving up a grand total of 1 run over 17 appearances, with his ERA dropping to 1.93. But his WHIP was 4.02 at that point, and he’s given up 4 runs over his past 4 appearances. I still think he will be an important reliever for the Cubs for the rest of the season, but like Webb, if he was the 5th or 6th reliever, I would feel much more comfortable.
–Caleb Thielbar– I wrote a long post about him here: https://cubsin7.blog/2026/07/09/what-is-up-with-caleb-thielbar/. He gave up a big home run to Baltimore, but had otherwise been looking a bit better, with 8 scoreless outings wrapped around that game. But like Rolison and Webb, there have not been many clean innings in that mix.
–Trent Thornton– It feels like Thornton is living on borrowed time, and I identified my reasoning in my 2nd half predictions. His FIP and strikeout rate are the profile of a player who should not be in a major league bullpen. And yet, he continue to get results. Before the season, I identified him as the non-roster player who had the biggest chance to make an impact in 2026 , and I was right. But the peripherals are scary. The crazy thing is that Counsell has been using him as a closer lately, trying to use Thielbar and Rolison against tough left-handed hitters and Webb against right-handed hitters whenever possible.
Lots of gray hair (low confidence)
–Drew Pomeranz– Guess who’s back? Pomeranz translated a solid 2025 season with the Cubs into a nice $4 million payday with the Angels, and then they cut him. Talk about a poorly run organization. I’d still love to see Mike Trout demand a trade to a contender before his career is over. Pomeranz was not THAT bad for the Angels, with a 5.01 ERA, but he’s been worse for the Cubs, with a 8.31 ERA in 4 games, including 2 home runs. It’s a small sample size, but it will be interesting to see whether they have more trust based on his track record as opposed to the other waiver pickups who were quickly discarded.
–Gavin Hollowell– Has he turned a corner? He has a 2.29 ERA over 8 games, and has show some quality stuff. Unfortunately, his FIP is 6.72 and his WHIP is 1.49. SO, like Thornton, I am really concerned that his is set for regression.
–Phil Maton– technically, he’s back. Although Counsell chose not to use him in two important games against the Reds, perhaps showing a similar level of confidence. Can he turn around a poor season? I certainly hope so, but I’m not holding my breath. Well, unless he enters a game in a big spot – when I definitely will be holding my breath.
No hair left (no confidence)
–Tyler Ferguson– When T. Fergeson comes into a game, this is all that I can think of
He actually had 7 decent appearances, dropping his ERA down to 5.79. And then he came in to a 2-1 lead and hit two guys, who became the tying and winning runs, in a game against the Orioles. He might get DFA’d or sent back to Iowa as soon as Taillon is activated.
Moved to the Rotation:
None
Not Applicable (minors or injured):
–Hoby Milner– 15-day IL – The are you *bleeping* kidding me moment of 2026 is probably the news that MIler needed an emergency appendectomy, and would miss 4 to 6 weeks. He had not been amazing this season, but had a ton of appearances and had been effective against righties and lefties. The latest update has him expected to return in August.
–Ethan Roberts– 150day IL – He was struggling, giving up runs in 3 straight games before heading to the IL. He should be available soon, and is probably a better option than Fergeson, Pomeranz and possibly Hollowell. But I’d expect a couple of rehab outings in Iowa.
–Daniel Palencia– 15-day IL – He’s supposed to start throwing off a mound now, so there are still a few weeks before he would potentially return. Bringing a quality releiver like Palencia would shift my whole confidence level of the bullpen.
–Jordan Wicks– AAA – He got perhaps the biggest outs of the season in an extra-inning win against the Brewers. But it was not enough to keep him on the active roster.
–Jayden Murray– AAA -Surprisingly, he’s still on the 40-man roster, so he did not show up on my Cubs’ Expendibles post. We might see him again this season, but I’m hoping the Cubs find better alternatives on the trade market.
–Riley Martin– 15-day IL. Martin just started throwing again, but is still a long way away from a return
–Ty Blach– AAA
–Corbin Martin– AAA
–Hunter Harvey– 60-day IL – recent reports suggest he may not play for the Cubs again this season. Everyone knew he was a big injury risk when he was signed, but only making 4 appearances (that did not go well) seems about a bad as this signing could have gone. Would he sign a team-friendly deal to come back in 2027? Who knows.
–Porter Hodge – 60-day IL – Out for 2026
–Luke Little– AA – Was demoted to Knoxville due to poor performance in Iowa. Any hopes that he could be a solid bullpen contributor continue to dwindle.
Released:
–Jake Woodford – DFA’d – The cubs dumped Bryse WIlson to pick up Woodford, who proceeded to give up a big 3-run home run in a loss to the Reds. He has chosen to become a free agent.
–Bryce Wilson – DFA’d – Wilson has an interesting 2-game tenure with the Cubs. He had a great debut, throwing 4 scoreless innings in a thrilling 4-3 win in Milwaukee. Then he gave up 7 earned runs in 3.1 innings in a very forgettable 17-1 drubbing at the hands of the Cardinals. He was DFA’d to make room for Woodford, and signed with the Brewers, where he (of course) has had 4 innings of scoreless relief over 2 games.
–Vince Velasquez– DFA’d – Another DFA by the Cubs who chose free agency. He was signed to a minor league deal by the Royals. I posted about Velasquez before the season as a non-roster guy who might see some major league time. He did, but it was not eventful.
Cubs in 7 
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