{"id":126287,"date":"2025-11-28T13:46:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T13:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=126287"},"modified":"2025-11-28T13:46:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T13:46:49","slug":"cubs-target-former-astros-star-with-history-that-still-haunts-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=126287","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Target Former Astros Star With History That Still Haunts Fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

IMAGE: New York Mets relief pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) exits the game against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. \/ Sam Navarro \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

The Chicago Cubs are once again dipping into a familiar well as they look to reinforce their bullpen this offseason. After back-to-back years of trying to revive former Houston Astros relievers – first Hector Neris, then Ryan Pressly – the Cubs are reportedly showing interest in another ex-Astro: Ryne Stanek.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: the Neris and Pressly experiments didn\u2019t pan out. Neither finished the season in a Cubs uniform, and both moves ultimately fell short of expectations.<\/p>\n

But that hasn\u2019t deterred Chicago\u2019s front office from going back to the Houston pipeline. They\u2019ve already signed Phil Maton to a two-year deal, and now Stanek is on their radar.<\/p>\n

Stanek, who shared a bullpen with Maton in Houston from 2021 to 2023, is an intriguing name. He was lights-out in 2022, posting a jaw-dropping 1.15 ERA for the Astros.<\/p>\n

But that version of Stanek has been hard to find since. This past season with the Mets, the right-hander struggled to a 5.30 ERA over 65 appearances and saw his strikeout rate dip below 23% – a noticeable drop from his career average of 27.1%.<\/p>\n

That dip in strikeouts is a red flag for a pitcher who\u2019s long been known for his high-octane, swing-and-miss stuff. But there\u2019s a silver lining: Stanek\u2019s fastball still sits in the upper 90s.<\/p>\n

The velocity hasn\u2019t gone anywhere. And for a team like the Cubs – who have shown they can get the most out of certain pitchers – that\u2019s a foundation worth betting on.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s hard to ignore the parallels. This interest in Stanek feels eerily similar to the optimism the Cubs had with Neris and Pressly.<\/p>\n

Both were experienced arms with Houston pedigrees, both were expected to stabilize the bullpen, and both ultimately didn\u2019t stick. That\u2019s not to say Stanek can\u2019t be different, but the track record here doesn\u2019t exactly inspire confidence.<\/p>\n

The Cubs’ recent history with bullpen reclamation projects is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, their pitching infrastructure has done a solid job of turning around struggling arms.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, that success hasn\u2019t come from their Houston imports. So while the Cubs might believe they can unlock Stanek\u2019s old form, it\u2019s fair to approach this situation with a healthy dose of skepticism.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s worth noting that Stanek might not even be the Cubs\u2019 top target. They\u2019re also reportedly showing interest in Ryan Helsley, a hard-throwing righty with his own set of question marks.<\/p>\n

Helsley stumbled late in the 2025 season, but those issues appear to be mechanical – possibly tipping pitches – rather than a sign of physical decline. He\u2019d likely cost more than Stanek, but the fix might be simpler.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Brad Keller, another name in the mix. Whether it\u2019s Helsley, Stanek, or Keller, the Cubs\u2019 plan seems clear: bring in one more established veteran to anchor the bullpen. After that, they can turn their attention to lower-risk, high-upside projects – the kind of arms they\u2019ve had some success developing in recent years.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: the Cubs are trying to thread the needle between experience and upside. Stanek offers both – at least in theory. But after two swings and misses with former Astros, Chicago has to be sure this next one connects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Cubs are once again dipping into a familiar well as they look to reinforce their bullpen this offseason. After back-to-back years of trying to revive former Houston…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCubs Target Former Astros Star With History That Still Haunts Fans - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=126287\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs Target Former Astros Star With History That Still Haunts Fans - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Chicago Cubs are once again dipping into a familiar well as they look to reinforce their bullpen this offseason. 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