Chicago Cubs Nearing Deals With Two Veteran Pitchers Ahead of Spring Training

The Chicago Cubs are bringing in some more pitching options.

Jun 17, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Brad Keller (46) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs appear to be close to bringing in another veteran pitcher to get a look at during camp.

As first reported by Jacob Zanolla of Cubs Insider, the team has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with right-hander Brad Keller, a deal which includes a non-roster invitation to big league camp next month.

Chicago is also closing in on a deal with left-hander Brandon Hughes who played with the team in 2022 and 2023 according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

Keller was originally selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Kansas City Royals from the Arizona Diamondbacks system, eventually making his debut for the Royals in 2018. In the three seasons from 2018-2020, he was solid, posting a 3.50 ERA in 78 appearances including 57 starts.

By 2021, Keller was beginning to struggle mightily and had put up a 5.39 ERA in 26 starts. Those struggles continued into the 2023 season both as a starter and out of the bullpen, eventually undergoing season-ending surgery and winding up signing a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox at the start of the 2024 season.

After spending a large chunk of the year in Triple-A and performing solidly before eventually electing free agency, Keller wound up with the Boston Red Sox and made 11 appearances out of the bullpen, struggling again to a 5.84 ERA and electing free agency again at the conclusion of the season.

Hughes on the other hand put up some tremendous numbers in 2022 with the Cubs, pitching to a 3.12 ERA in 57 bullpen appearances and even racked up eight saves as the team's closer towards the end of the season.

Struggling with knee issues the following season, Hughes made just 17 forgettable appearances and struggled once again with the Diamondbacks in 2024 with an 8.15 ERA in 15 appearances this past season.

The left-handed Hughes is still just 29 years old and has only thrown 89 MLB innings while the much more seasoned Keller - though also 29 - has thrown over 700 big league innings.

It's far from a guarantee and may even be unlikely that either player makes the Cubs roster this season, but both have shown enough in the past to at least be worth keeping an eye on during spring training.

In a worst case scenario, both players are able to provide some minor league depth options for when injuries inevitably occur this year.