Brewers rivals’ latest move to bolster their 2026 bullpen is a risky one

The Chicago Cubs can't stop adding relief pitchers to their roster this winter. With New Year's Day, the unofficial halfway point of the MLB offseason, still on the horizon, the North Siders have already added five arms to their relief corps for the 2026 season. For the most part, Jed Hoyer and company have done well with their signings, navigating an expensive free agent relief pitcher market by adding under-the-radar names whose profiles suggest they will be productive relievers in 2026.

After already agreeing to deals with Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and a reunion with Caleb Thielbar, the Cubs added another name to their 'pen over the weekend, signing former first-round pick Hunter Harvey to a one-year, $6 million deal. Still with four open 40-man roster spots, the Cubs surely aren't done adding to their roster this offseason, but there's a good chance Harvey is their final major league relief pitcher signing this winter.

The 31-year-old Harvey certainly has the upside to worry Milwaukee Brewers fans who will likely have to watch their team face off against the seven-year MLB veteran multiple times next season. However, there's also one glaring reason to believe that the Cubs both overpaid for Harvey's services and might not reap as many benefits from their most recent signing as they hoped.

Cubs latest bullpen signing, Hunter Harvey, has struggled to stay healthy throughout his MLB career, making his $6 million contract a risk for Chicago

The Cubs certainly have a type when it comes to bullpen arms. Harvey, a high-slot natural pronator with a gyro-slider, is essentially a right-handed version of Thielbar, who had a career year in his first season in a Cubs' uniform in 2025. Chicago is hoping that Harvey has the same success that Thielbar did in their pitching department, but such a reality assumes that he's able to stay on the field for an entire season, something he has yet to do in his MLB career.

From elbow injuries to lat strains to shoulder troubles and back tightness, Harvey has spent at least some time on the injured list in each of his six seasons in the majors following his brief introductory campaign back in 2019. Last year, he was limited to just 10.2 innings while battling strains in his right teres major (shoulder) and right adductor (groin). It capped what ended up being a disappointing tenure for Harvey with the Kansas City Royals, who traded for him halfway through the 2024 season.

Prior to his time spent in Kansas City, Harvey was excellent as a high-leverage arm in the Washington Nationals 'pen. He posted back-to-back sub-3.00 ERA seasons in 2022 and 2023 in a Nationals uniform, with strikeout rates north of 28% in each campaign.

It's a track record that suggests that Harvey will still be a productive reliever if he can avoid the injured list in 2026. However, given his history, it's still somewhat surprising to see the Cubs hand Harvey $6 million and certainly a risk that a team like the small-market club like the Brewers would avoid.