The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen may be looking at a massive rework with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Cubs are coming off a series during which they lost two games to the Washington Nationals, including one on Sunday that was directly tied to late-inning struggles. They headed into the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead and closer Daniel Palencia on the mound. But Palencia went on to allow five earned runs without recording an out before exiting with an injury, and the Nationals went on to win 6-3.
Palencia has since been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, putting the back end of the Cubs’ bullpen in disarray. Could the team’s woes be remedied by top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins, who has impressed in the minor leagues in 2025?
Wiggins could potentially be part of the Cubs’ postseason plans
In short, the answer to that question is “not now,” as Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar, the team’s leaders in ERA amongst relievers, are expected to take on a larger role for the time being.
But there is a possibility that Wiggins follows in the footsteps of Shane McClanahan and Ryan Weathers by making his MLB debut during the postseason.
The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney recalls the Cubs facing a similar situation two years ago, albeit one where the club was not dealing with an injury.
“The Cubs once kicked around the idea of promoting Cade Horton from Double A to the majors near the end of the 2023 season, wondering if his raw stuff could immediately work out of the bullpen,” Mooney wrote. “Ultimately, too much inexperience worked against Horton, who’s since developed into a frontline starter and a leading candidate in the NL Rookie of the Year race.”
Only time will tell if Wiggins will reach those same heights, but he is confirmed to have been “on the radar” of Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who watched the pitcher make his Triple-A debut on Sept. 6. Wiggins threw three innings of one-run ball against the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Kansas City Royals’ affiliate at that level, in his debut with the Iowa Cubs.
“The Cubs drafted Wiggins, who turns 24 next month, in the second round in 2023 out of the University of Arkansas. He began this season at Class-A South Bend, and the Cubs will continue to monitor his workload carefully,” Mooney wrote. “For a manager who is constantly thinking about ‘out-getters’ and ‘the innings puzzle,’ Wiggins looms as an intriguing option, either for depth or maybe even October impact.”
Wiggins, the Cubs’ No. 4 prospect (and the league’s No. 80 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline), has put together a strong campaign across three minor-league levels. In 17 games, all of which except one have been starts, he has pitched to a 3-2 record, 1.89 ERA, and 0.95 WHIP, in addition to earning 87 strikeouts to 31 walks, across 71.1 innings pitched.
Wiggins’ rapid rise through the minor leagues, as well as the number of innings he has thrown, will certainly play a role in whatever decision the Cubs’ front office makes involving his postseason status. But Counsell hasn’t shut the door on him potentially contributing to the club’s postseason efforts.
“There’s a ways to go before we get there,” Counsell said, via Mooney. “But we thought about the challenge of Triple A for the last three weeks of the season. And then who knows what could happen?”
