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How Cubs might've made their bullpen 'worse' with one Angels trade
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- How Cubs might've made their bullpen 'worse' with one Angels trade
How Cubs might've made their bullpen 'worse' with one Angels trade originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Chicago Cubs made a few additions at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, adding Kevin Gausman , Clay Holmes , and Tyrone Taylor to improve the rotation and outfield depth.
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But they also added a reliever, swinging a trade with the Los Angeles Angels for Ryan Zeferjahn , a flame-throwing righty who had a 3.66 ERA for the Angels in 45 outings before the deadline deal.
However, as Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report highlighted, the aftermath of that trade might've actually made the Cubs' bullpen "worse" given how poorly Zeferjahn has pitched for the Cubs since the trade.
Cubs' trade for Ryan Zeferjahn might've made bullpen 'worse'
"The Cubs made their bullpen worse," Reuter writes. "The thinking seemed to be that Zeferjahn was a potentially impactful enough addition that he could slot into a high-leverage role and stabilize the bullpen as a result."
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Unfortunately for the Cubs, that thinking didn't materialize, as Zeferjahn has struggled mightily this season, enough to the point where Reuter called the entire bullpen a "ticking time bomb."
So, what has Zeferjahn done to receive such a bleak outlook? Well, in 11 outings for the Cubs this season, Zeferjahn has a brutal 7.20 ERA and -0.3 bWAR.
He's allowed eight earned runs and 13 hits, four walks, and two homers with 10 strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched.
MORE: Cubs trade deadline addition Clay Holmes likely to opt out of $12M 2027 player option
His FIP of 5.20 does indicate he's not as bad as the 7.20 ERA indicates, but with a 1.700 WHIP, it's hard to ignore how bad Zeferjahn has been for the Cubs.
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Considering his struggles, and how Daniel Palencia hasn't been good, and plenty of their other relievers are struggling, the bullpen might become a serious issue for the Cubs in October.
While the Cubs might've somewhat resolved the rotation, the bullpen is worrying. Hopefully Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera can return and provide quality outings out of the bullpen. Otherwise, the Zeferjahn trade only made things worse for the Cubs.
