The Chicago Cubs had one of the worst pitching staffs among playoff teams in 2026. With a 4.12 team ERA, the Cubs especially struggled to put away games.
One of their key relievers from the last two seasons will depart.
According to an announcement by the MLBPA, Cubs reliever Caleb Thielbar will enter free agency after his mutual option was declined.
Thielbar will receive a $500,000 buyout for a mutual option valued at $6 million.
The longtime reliever could hang up his cleats for good entering his age-40 season. Thielbar pitched in 58 games for Chicago in 2026, recording a 4.86 ERA.
Who Is Chicago Cubs Reliever Caleb Thielbar?
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Thielbar in the 18th round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of South Dakota State University. He debuted in 2013 with the Minnesota Twins, recording a 1.76 ERA in 49 games.
The following season, Thielbar recorded a 3.40 ERA in 54 games. He would pitch in just six games with Minnesota in 2015 before he was relegated to the minors. From the beginning of 2015 to the beginning of the 2020 season, Thielbar did not pitch in a major league game.
However, he made his comeback with the Twins in 2020, recording a 2.25 ERA in 17 games. He pitched four more seasons with Minnesota before signing with the Cubs in free agency after the 2024 season.
With Chicago, Thielbar appeared in 67 games in 2025, recording a 2.64 ERA. This led to Chicago signing Thielbar to a one-year, $4.5 million deal. He didn’t live up to his contract whatsoever.
In 58 games during the 2026 season, Thielbar recorded a 4.86 ERA, giving up 11 home runs in just 50 innings.
Thielbar will now enter free agency, and possibly retirement, after a disappointing season.
What’s Next for the Team?
Thielbar is far from the only pitcher on the Cubs to enter free agency this offseason. In that same announcement, Clay Holmes and Hunter Harvey entered free agency as well. In addition, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Matthew Boyd, David Peterson, Colin Rea, Aaron Civale, Trent Thornton, Drew Pomeranz and others will elect free agency.
This, in addition to outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, makes for a difficult offseason for Chicago. With an exodus of pitchers and key position players leaving, the Cubs will have some tough decisions to make before and after the lockout.
Pitching is clearly the biggest need for the Cubs at this point. While Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal is on their radar, it will be difficult to acquire the ace they so desperately need.
The Cubs also need more than one starter, which makes signing Skubal that much harder. They will have basically a clean slate with almost no pitchers from 2026 returning. Jed Hoyer will have to be shrewd and make several moves regarding pitching before the lockout on Dec. 1.
Cubs 58-Game Pitcher Elects Free Agency After Option Decision