CHICAGO -- The Cubs have continued to search for ways to improve their bullpen group this season, while working to increase their lead atop the National League Central. The latest addition is left-hander Génesis Cabrera.
After Cabrera was officially signed to a one-year Major League contract on Thursday’s team off-day, he made his Cubs debut on Friday. He went 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one walk allowed and three strikeouts in Chicago's 6-2 loss to the Reds. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said having Cabrera -- giving Chicago three lefties in the relief corps right now -- should be beneficial for the upcoming series.
“We’re continuing to try to just add depth and incrementally upgrade,” Counsell said prior to Friday’s game against the Reds. “We’re going through a stretch of the season right now where I think left-handers are going to help -- against this team, against the next team we play, the Nationals. We’re just trying to put together the best roster we can every day.”
In order to add Cabrera to the 40-man and active roster, the Cubs designated righty Brooks Kriske for assignment on Thursday.
Cabrera, 28, was DFA’d by the Mets on Saturday after making six appearances for the club with a 3.52 ERA in 2025. He elected free agency on Tuesday in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to the Minors after clearing outright waivers.
A veteran of seven big league seasons, Cabrera has appeared in 278 games and owns a 3.88 ERA with 275 strikeouts and 139 walks over 283 1/3 innings during his MLB career, pitching for the Cardinals and Blue Jays in addition to the Mets. After spending 2024 with Toronto, he signed a Minor League contract with the Mets in November.
Cabrera joins Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar as the third lefty in the bullpen.
“They haven't given a specific role, so to speak,” Cabrera said via team translator Fredy Quevedo Jr. “I’ve just got to come out here and once I do get that role, just go with it. … I like to compete. I can go into any situation and perform -- high leverage or anything like that. I’m a competitor.”
Cabrera joins a Cubs bullpen that has been improving over the past month.
Dating back to April 25, when Pomeranz joined the team, the bullpen as a whole had logged a 2.69 ERA in 110 1/3 innings, entering Friday. During that stretch, other developments have included righty Chris Flexen emerging as a reliable multi-inning arm, veteran Ryan Pressly getting back on track and Daniel Palencia stepping up in the later innings.
Prior to that stretch, the Cubs’ bullpen began the year with a 5.17 ERA in 94 innings through April 24.
“I think we've got a good pitching program here,” Counsell said, “that's just incrementally trying to make guys a little bit better. The players deserve a lot of credit for it. And then it's just, you take shots [on additions]. You've got to take shots.”