The Chicago Cubs and Alzolay went their separate ways in November 2024, as things just didn’t click for him. His year ended early because of the elbow injury that led to his surgery. In 2024, he pitched in 18 games, posting a 4.67 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP, and gave up six home runs in just 17.1 innings. Things didn’t start well for him either, as he blew four of his first seven save chances and lost his role as the closer early in the season.
But just a year earlier, in 2023, Alzolay was a bright spot for the Cubs. He took over as their closer and managed to get 22 saves in 64 innings. He finished the season with a strong 2.67 ERA and struck out 9.4 batters per nine innings. His slider was particularly impressive and praiseworthy. It had a plus-10 run value and a 40.6 percent whiff rate, meaning hitters struggled a lot against it. Throughout his career, he’s struck out 269 batters in 254 innings and has a 4.04 ERA with a 4.30 FIP.
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Alzolay’s career has had its fair share of ups and downs. He made his MLB debut in 2019 and started as a pitcher in the Cubs’ rotation for a few years. But in 2022, they moved him to the bullpen, which turned out to be a good call. His first full season as a reliever in 2023 was fantastic. Unfortunately, injuries have been a problem for him. He missed part of 2023 with a forearm strain, which hurt the Cubs during their playoff push, and most recently now, the elbow injury in 2024 that led to his Tommy John surgery ended his season and is most likely to keep him out for the majority of 2025.
Alzolay put together a career 4.04 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP during his six seasons with the Cubs. Although his time as a starter wasn’t the best, switching to a relief role changed that. In 2023, he had a 2.67 ERA and 3.02 FIP, with his fastball averaging 95.3 mph and his slider being his go-to pitch.
The Mets have been busy adding pitchers this offseason, including Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and A.J. Minter. Adbert Alzolay’s minor league deal is more about the long-term picture, as they’re hoping he can help their bullpen in 2026. If he recovers entirely and avoids injuries, he could end up being a big part of the team’s future plans.
