Why Caleb Thielbar makes sense for the Cubs bullpen in 2026

Kiyoshi Mio - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 2 hours ago

There is no secret that one of the Cubs' biggest weaknesses, if not their biggest current weakness, lies in the state of their bullpen. Even with the acquisition of Phil Maton on a multi-year deal, the Cubs are currently entering the 2026 season with three players under contract with Maton, Porter Hodge, and Daniel Palencia.

All of them are seen as late-inning arms for this team, but none are left-handers, as the Cubs will need to address the left-handed reliever spot. Sure, guys like Luke Little, Jordan Wicks, and Riley Martin give them some in-house options, but apart from Wicks, do you really trust any of them in a clutch spot during the season?

That is where veteran lefty Caleb Thielbar comes into play as the soon-to-be 39-year-old is coming off a massive bounce-back season and is looking for one more opportunity to get the job done. Signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal by the Cubs last season, Thielbar was looked at to be one of the veterans in the Cubs pen after putting up some strong numbers most of his career.

Anytime you can last nine seasons in the majors and post a 3.26 ERA during that time, you are doing something right, and Thielbar has always been a trusted option that teams have been able to go with in virtually any spot. Take the 2015 season away, during which he was limited to less than 10 games, and Thielbar has always been a solid reliever, as his ERA has been under 3.5 in every season but one.

Not bad for a guy who was out of the majors in 2016 and didn't return until 2020, as he dealt with his share of injuries and couldn't get it done at the AAA level. Once he finally made it back, Thielbar picked up right where he left off, except for the 2024 season, which was by far the worst of his career.

Thielbar appeared in 59 games for the Twins that season, totaling 47 innings as his ERA ballooned to 5.32. A lot of people thought that was the beginning of the end for him, especially considering his age and how much time he missed between MLB games earlier in his career, but the Cubs were the one team that believed in him as they offered him a one-year deal for the 2025 season.

Not only did the Cubs believe in him, but they felt he could be a bounce-back reclamation project, which is something you have seen this team do every year. Not only did Thielbar prove them right by bouncing back, but for 5 1/2 months, he was one of their best relievers before running out of gas the final two weeks of the season.

Despite that, the numbers don't lie, as this may have been the best overall season of his career, which makes him a somewhat intriguing free agent option for 2026. Across his career-high 67 games, Thielbar performed basically every role possible, all while putting forth 58 innings, the third highest of his career.

Even if the 3-4 record isn't a great sign, his 2.62 ERA was, which keeps in mind was sitting at 1.97 midway through August and 2.14 on September 13. His 13 walks were a career low when he pitched at least 20 innings, while the 58 strikeouts were the third-highest total of his career, so you can see how good he actually was most of the season.

Even with Thielbar struggling down the stretch, as there was some fatigue that set in, you wouldn't have guessed that based on his postseason performance, as he was one of the Cubs' most trusted arms in the postseason. While his command did waver a bit, three walks and five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, Thielbar did everything that was asked of him as he didn't allow a run in his five total appearances.

Compare that to how he looked in previous postseasons, and there is no denying that he was locked in last season. Given the Cubs' need for a lefty and Thielbar's age, this is the perfect candidate to offer another one-year contract to, even if they have to pay closer to four million this time around.

He proved last season that he has a little bit left in the tank, and even if he doesn't perform at the level he did in 2025, you know you will get a quality season from him. The track record proves it, the familiarity with the organization is there, and from all accounts, Thielbar loved it here, so why not run it back with him one last time?