What Is Biggest Weakness for Chicago Cubs Heading Into Offseason?

What area is most important for the Chicago Cubs to fix this offseason?

Sep 28, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Porter Hodge (37) reacts after a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As the Chicago Cubs head into the offseason, they will be looking to improve on what was a solid 2024 campaign. 

The Cubs might not have reached all of their goals in 2024, but there were a lot of positives to take away from the season. Chicago was able to finish over .500, and while they weren’t in playoff contention, they were a solid team.

This offseason, the Cubs will be trying to improve as they want to compete with the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and compete for a playoff spot in the National League. 

In 2024, Chicago was able to address some of their areas of weakness. Consistency as a team was certainly one of them, but this winter they could use a starting pitcher, some pop in their lineup, and help in the bullpen. 

Recently, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report spoke about the biggest weakness for the team heading into the offseason, and he highlighted the need to improve the bullpen. 

“Porter Hodge and Tyson Miller are two exciting bullpen pieces for the Cubs moving forward, but this is a team that could stand to add at least one high-leverage reliever in the offseason to help solidify manager Craig Counsell's bullpen. It might be unlikely they can land either Williams or Helsley in a trade from their division rivals, but Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman and Blake Treinen could all be interesting targets in free agency.”

When looking at the Cubs in 2024, the bullpen was certainly their biggest issue. This is an organization that will head into 2025 with a quartet of solid starting pitchers, but they can't do it all. 

Even though the starters were good last year, the bullpen lost a lot of games for them, and it will be a top priority to address this offseason. 

Despite a lot of struggles, they do have a couple of nice pieces led by Porter Hodge, but having a star closer would really be a big help. However, while some closers might be available in the trade market, Chicago will likely have to pursue one of the top free agents in order to upgrade to the position. 

As the Cubs hope to improve in 2025, adding help in the bullpen will go a long way to achieving that. If Chicago is able to add an impact arm and have someone to rely on in the back of the bullpen, there is no reason why they can't compete next year for a playoff spot.