The Cubs bolstered their bullpen on Thursday, announcing they've signed Brad Boxberger to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2024.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported it's worth $2.8 million.
The bullpen stood among the Cubs’ offseason needs, certainly after trading away four key relievers at the deadline last season. Boxberger adds a reliable presence for manager David Ross in the later innings.
“You always want to have some stabilizers in the bullpen, for sure,” team president Jed Hoyer said in October. “I'd love to think that we can get to a point as an organization where we can almost entirely build our bullpen internally.
“We're not there yet, and we're not going to be there next year. So that will be a focus.”
Boxberger, though, is also a potential flip guy if the Cubs fall out of contention by the summer and are deadline sellers once again — which they've done with five relievers the last two years.
They signed veterans David Robertson, Chris Martin and Mychal Givens last offseason and flipped them at the deadline. In 2021, it was Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin.
The 34-year-old Boxberger is coming off a good season with the Brewers, posting a 2.95 ERA in 70 appearances (64 innings). He averaged 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.8 walks per nine.
The 11-year veteran has a career 3.44 ERA between the Padres, Rays, Diamondbacks, Royals, Marlins and Brewers and was an All-Star with Tampa Bay in 2015.