The Chicago Cubs have been fairly active to start the offseason. While none of the heavy lifting has commenced, Jed Hoyer has been stocking the organization's depth. Most recently, the Cubs signed veteran reliever Phil Bickford to a minor-league deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
It's not a flashy signing, but it does feature another Milwaukee connection. Bickford began his career as a member of Craig Counsell's bullpen from 2020 to 2021. The 29-year-old has bounced around since then, spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees.
Bickford's rough 8.64 ERA over 8.1 innings with the Yankees this past season isn't inspiring, but giving him a chance to work with the Cubs' pitching infrastructure is appealing.
A familiar situation, this signing is a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the. If Bickford can get back on the right track with Chicago, it'll make for another success story for a pitcher down on his luck.
It'll be interesting to see who else the Cubs bring into the fold for the 2025 campaign. If they don't elect to spend big on bullpen arms, additions of this nature will likely be the norm.
Even after adding Eli Morgan, the Cubs need to address the closer role with a veteran hurler. Bullpen pieces can be fickle, but the psychological factors at play for a closer make the role the most important of the bunch.
The Cubs have been passive in their search to solve this problem, and now is the time to address it with a meaningful addition. The Bickfords of the world can work, but lacking a true closer will hurt the present continual problems, as was the case in 2024.
This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.
