3 relievers the Chicago Cubs should prioritize over Kyle Finnegan

With the Cubs looking to bolster their starting rotation and bullpen further this winter, it's no surprise the club was connected to recent non-tender Kyle Finnegan at the winter meetings. Finnegan, a 2024 All-Star closer with 38 saves this year, appears to check boxes that the Cubs need, but the truth is, there are multiple red flags. He finished the season with a 3.68 ERA, which isn't an elite mark among relievers, but there are more significant issues:

Finnegan 2024:

ERA: 3.68
xERA: 4.34
FIP: 4.25

BAA: .247
xBA: .261 (19th percentile)

Chase %: 31st percentile
whiff %: 29th percentile
BB %: 35th percentile

The FIP alone will indicate that he got luckier than his ERA suggests, and you see why when his expected stats are alongside his actual stats. There's reason to believe that further regression is coming in Finnegan's final year before free agency. He was right on the average line regarding Pitching Run Value, and the Cubs already have plenty of arms in that range. That being said, here are three relievers the Cubs should consider instead of Finnegan this winter.

3. LHP A.J. Minter should be near top priority

Thankfully, the Cubs have already been connected to Minter, and he should be at the top of the Cubs' wishlist. The interest here must turn into real pursuit, as the Cubs need a dominant lefty in the pen. Minter has recorded a 2.85 ERA since 2020, along with a 2.84 FIP. In 2024, he notched a 2.62 ERA, but the FIP was much higher at 4.45. It wouldn't be fair to paint Finnegan negatively regarding FIP and then brush over Minter's this season. Still, the consistency at which Minter plays (career 2.89 FIP over eight years) is a lot less alarming than Finnegan's 4.24 career FIP over five years.

For clarity, Hector Neris had a 3.89 ERA and 4.10 FIP with the Cubs in 2024, and Cubs fans will be quick to remember the imprint they left on the edge of their couch cushions watching a 9th inning of Cubs baseball this season. Minter, who missed a decent chunk of the season with an injury, is far more likely to bounce back to his usual dominant self, and being a lefty, it's a move that will significantly help the Cubs in 2025.

2. Brooks Raley is flying under the radar this winter

Due to Tommy John surgery that derailed all of Brooks Raley's 2024, he is now flying under the radar regarding viable free agents this winter. Between 2022 and 2023, Raley recorded a 2.74 ERA in 108.1 IP (3.21 FIP, for those keeping score) and a 10.1 K/9. Before injury in 2024, he had recorded 7.0 scoreless frames, indicating that more of the same was on the horizon.

Raley spent the last two seasons with the Mets before a stellar 2022 with the Rays put him on the map. Given the recent injury, he can likely be had on a cheaper deal, and with any production near what he's been accustomed to, it can be a very beneficial deal with a team looking for back-end relief help.

Like Minter, the main knock on Raley is that he is more of a set-up man than a closer, and you prefer to have someone with more experience in that role. The problem is many lefty closers are available, so the Cubs may have to do their best if it's through free agency.

1. Jeff Hoffman deserves more attention from the Cubs

This spot should be reserved for Tanner Scott, but the reality is that it's not a realistic option for the Cubs this winter due to the number of years and dollars it will take to sign him. Also in this spot could be Carlos Estevez, but I'm much more zeroed in on another Phillies reliever in Jeff Hoffman. After his second stellar season in a row, Hoffman owns a 2.28 ERA (2.54 FIP) and an elite 12.0 K/9.

Hoffman did record ten saves on the 2024 campaign, and sliding him into that role, although it might ruffle the feathers of Porter Hodge enthusiasts, may give the Cubs a strong enough bullpen to compete in 2025. With Hodge, Tyson Miller, Eli Morgan, And Hoffman being the primary relievers, the Cubs' bullpen has more upside than in the last few seasons. Still, it offers a strong enough floor that if their starting rotation holds up again, there'd be reason to believe this team can make strides in 2025.