CubsPS+ #108: Cubs Bullpen - Just Noise or Time to Panic?

Episode 108 – Cubs Bullpen: Just Noise or Time to Panic?

• I kicked off the episode by celebrating one of the most infamous moments in Cubs history: Lee Elia’s legendary 1983 postgame rant. If you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favor and look it up — it’s a time capsule of frustration, profanity, and peak Cubs lore.

• Then I pivoted to the present: the Cubs are 17-12 after surviving a brutal April schedule. Not a single game against a losing team until this series in Pittsburgh — that’s wild.

• I talked through why I’m actually encouraged by this start — especially considering we’ve already seen the Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rangers. No cupcake wins in that bunch.

• The offense has been carrying the load — leading MLB in runs scored and ranking top five in most categories. Pitching? That’s where it gets interesting.

Let’s talk bullpen:

• There’s panic out there, and I get it — but I dug into the numbers and game logs to get a clearer picture of what’s actually happening.

• I broke down every blown save so far — who they’re charged to, how they happened, and why that stat doesn’t always mean what fans think it does.

• I showed how a single bad outing is inflating ERAs for guys like Porter Hodge and Brad Keller — and why Hodge, in particular, has actually been solid outside of one meltdown.

• I walked through game-by-game bullpen usage during the last homestand to separate emotion from results. Some of those wins? The bullpen locked it down.

• I compared this group to last year’s disaster — and while they’re walking too many guys and not getting enough strikeouts, it’s not the same situation as 2024. At least not yet.

Where we go from here:

• I talked about who I trust in the late innings right now (spoiler: it’s not just Presley), and why the Cubs need to keep cycling through arms until they find the right mix.

• I gave Jed some criticism for not doing more in the offseason — but also credit for being aggressive with early call-ups and DFA moves.

• I touched on David Robertson rumors, why adding starting depth could actually help the bullpen, and what internal options might emerge.

• Finally, I looked ahead to May — the schedule softens up, and if this team keeps doing what it did in April against easier opponents, we might just stay on top of the division.

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