Chicago Cubs sign career under-3.00 ERA free agent reliever to one-year deal

The Chicago Cubs came into the offseason promising to make waves with their pursuit of high-end talent. One could say that there definitely was a need to make a major move or two after their NLDS elimination showed clear and obvious roster holes that needed to be filled.

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However, amid buzz circling regarding the team’s pursuit of a front-of-rotation starting pitcher and a viable replacement for the outgoing Kyle Tucker, not a whole lot has happened so far. The anticipated big wave has amounted to some ripples up to this point.

Consider Chicago’s acquisition today to be one of those ripples, just short of an actual wave.

Chicago Cubs sign right-handed reliever

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According to MLB insider Patrick Mooney, the Cubs will be picking up free agent right-handed reliever Jacob Webb,

Per Mooney:

“The Cubs are in agreement with right-handed reliever Jacob Webb on a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2027, per a source briefed on the deal. Webb has a career 2.99 ERA over 247 major-league appearances with the Braves, Angels, Orioles and Rangers.”

Webb joins Phil Maton and Hoby Milner as fellow Texas Rangers brought over by the Cubs to establish a new relief corps in a bullpen left depleted by a score of outgoing free agents. Webb joins his former teammates in a pen alongside the re-signed Caleb Thielbar, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Ben Brown.

Jacob Webb as a prototypical Cub bullpen asset

The 32-year-old righty is coming off a statistically stellar 2025 season where he posted a 3.00 ERA over 55 games and 66 innings. Over the course of his 6-year major league career, his 2.99 ERA stands out as a mark of stability through a multi-team run of bullpen gigs.

Webb is not the swing-and-miss pitcher the Cubs were said to be pursuing. He’s more akin to what the Cubs traditionally pursue as someone who limits hard contact and keeps the ball in the park. It’s easy to see him settling into a mid-relief role on the big league squad and there’s enough of a good track record behind him to suggest that the pickup was a solid decision from the front office.

Details of the contract have yet to be released, but Mooney is reporting on a club option in play that could keep him in Chicago through 2027 as well.

The Cubs’ plans going forward

So, what does this mean for the Cubs offseason plans the rest of the way?

Realistically, not a whole lot. Webb probably didn’t land a monster money amount, so the possibility of a big-money deal for a high-end free agent won’t be affected by this signing.

What this deal might mean, though, is that the Cubs have possibly given up on making a play for the one or two closer-capable relievers still left on the free agent market. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has talked in the past about his preference to limit spending on bullpen assets and the team has already invested over $26 million on bullpen pieces this offseason (assuming Webb is making around the $4 million-per-season mark that Milner and Thielbar got).

It’s most likely that Chicago will turn to last year’s closer, Palencia, to resume his role and to a closer-by-committee approach should he falter.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-jacob-webb-free-agent-signing