For much of the second half of last year, it looked like the Chicago Cubs were going to be playing postseason baseball for the first time since 2020.
The bold decision by Jed Hoyer and his front office to not be sellers at the deadline again, but instead deciding to add pieces, seemed like it would pay off.
After getting hot in the back half of summer, they were comfortably holding a Wild Card spot as they tried tracking down the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
Then, everything fell apart.
The Cubs ultimately missed the playoffs by one game.
The overall collapse of their bullpen due to injury and being overworked was a main reason why.
Despite finishing 13th in the MLB with an ERA of 3.85, the closing stretch was a disaster when they blew 10-plus saves in the month of September and had multiple devastating one run losses.
On the positive, Chicago's bullpen was much improved in 2023 compared to the prior season when they ranked 21st with a 4.12 ERA.
If they hadn't been hit with all those injuries last year, they might have been able to finish inside the top-10 in ERA.
That's precisely why Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation is predicting that result.
"It's more or less ALWAYS true with relievers, but the group the Cubs have right now could be truly outstanding ... It's not at all hard for me to imagine this turning into another top-ten bullpen," he writes.
Taylor also points out that there are a lot of "ifs" that come with this unit as well because of the variance that could occur across their bullpen.
They need a lot of things to happen, health and consistent performance at the top of the list.
But, if the Cubs' relievers are able to put everything together, they could become a strength of this team instead of a hinderance.
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