Cubs Rumors: Juan Soto trade centerpiece, Braves poach FA target, bullpen plan

Cubs Rumors: 'Low risk, high reward' approach to bullpen will continue

There are a few different ways to approach building a bullpen. One approach, made famous by the Yankees during the 2010s, is to grab some of the league's best relievers. This resulted in them holding contracts with Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Zack Britton during the same span of time.

This approach is often expensive and unsustainable, leaving the team unable to hold onto these players when their contracts run up.

But the Chicago Cubs have a different approach. They have begun trending towards grabbing some of the lesser-known relievers that are better than they appear on the surface. Adbert Alzolay and Julian Merryweather come to mind when thinking about this trend. And according to Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cubs will likely continue executing this plan.

Alzolay, the club's incredible closer, could have seen his time in Chicago cut short after a 13-loss season in 2021. However, Chicago decided to begin using him out of the bullpen and this decision has paid tremendous dividends since then.

The idea of opting for a cheaper option in the bullpen has major benefits. The cap flexibility allows the club to pursue bigger names in free agency, often ending up with a loaded starting lineup. This can be seen with the Atlanta Braves, who don't have any of the league's top names in the bullpen.

Chicago will continue to find the relief pitchers that may not have the most attractive appearance on the outside, but are much better than they appear.