The Chicago Cubs bullpen has been a problem for years now. Last offseason, Chicago brought in an ex-Houston Astros champ with a long track record of success. But he was in his mid-30s, and those golden years had passed him by. The results weren’t there and the Cubs eventually pivoted. His name was Héctor Neris.

Now it’s 2025, and the Cubs are running the same playbook. Ryan Pressly came over from Houston at 36 years old. He was a staple of a dominant Astros bullpen for ages, but in this late stage of career, Pressly’s pitches just aren’t missing bats like they used to. Through 31 appearances and 29.0 innings with Chicago, Pressly has a 4.03 ERA and 1.62 WHIP, logging just 20 strikeouts. The metrics are even more dire. An average exit velocity in the ninth percentile and a whiff rate in the seventh percentile won’t cut it.

Craig Counsell is one of the best managers in baseball when it comes to utilizing his bullpen and exploiting matchup advantages, but he just doesn’t have the necessary bullets right now. The Cubs are mashing at the plate and the rotation is about to get a huge boost with Shōta Imanaga’s return, but Chicago needs to execute a bullpen trade (or two) at the deadline. It could mean the difference between a postseason berth and a deep run.

Here are a few dream targets for Jed Hoyer and the front office.

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3. David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates

After a catacylsmic 2024 season, David Bednar has returned to form for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s not the perennial All-Star candidate he was a few years ago, but Bednar can pick up timely outs and miss a ton of bats with his blistering fastball and devastating curveball.

The Pirates have been resistant to Bednar trade overtures in the past, but with no path to contention and pennies to pinch for Bob Nutting, perhaps this is the season in which Ben Cherington and the front office relent. Sending Bednar to a division rival probably isn’t on Pittsburgh’s wishlist, but the Cubs offer a deep reservoir of quality prospects to dangle in trade talks.

Still in the prime of his career at 30 years old, Bednar has one more year of arbitration eligibility, so he’s more than a rental for the Cubs. He can step into Pressly’s current setup role and instantly upgrade Chicago’s late-relief crew. If the Cubs need him to pick up a few saves in lieu of Daniel Palencia, Bednar can get the job done.

2. Jake Bird, Colorado Rockies

It has been a dismal season in Denver, but if there’s one true bright spot of this Colorado Rockies season, it’s Jake Bird. The 29-year-old has shown that he can miss bats and provide genuine length out of the bullpen, with a 2.16 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 41.2 innings of work in 32 appearances.

Colorado should be ready to sell the farm, or whatever’s left of it. Bird has a few years left on his deal, so Chicago can invest in multuple years of quality production, whether he’s sliding into Pressly’s late-relief slot or giving the Cubs multiple innings of quality work in the middle portion of a game.

With a K rate in the 93rd percentile and a nifty three-pitch arsenal built around a hard-breaking slider, Bird has all the trappings of a golden reliever. He’s at 1.8 WAR this season and it’s only June, which is a mighty impressive number for a relief pitcher — not to mention a relief pitcher on the worst team in MLB history, with zero run support and constant pressure to deliver game-defining outs.

1. Mason Miller, Athletics

The Athletics unequivocally rejected all trade offers for Mason Miller last season, but it will be interesting to see if their stance changes any in 2025. Miller is still 26 and he’s under arbitration through 2029, so the contract is of significant value. The odds are better than even that the A’s simply take their ball and go home if the Cubs come knocking.

That said, one can’t help but wonder if the A’s regret their decision to pass on what would have been a historic haul of prospects for a reliever at the 2024 deadline. Miller still packs elite velocity and generates a metric ton of swing-and-misses, but the results are far more volatile this season. Through 28 appearances and 28.2 innings, he’s sitting at a 5.02 ERA and 1.89 WHIP.

It has been so rough that you can argue the Cubs would be better off targeting a more immediate and well-proven solution like Bednar or Bird. But in the end, Miller’s arsenal and potential longevity makes him something of a dream addition, even if he has a few kinks left to work through in the near future. If Chicago can tempt the A’s into the right package of prospects, Miller has a chance to headline the Cubs bullpen for many years to come.