The 2026 MLB season is finally here following Wednesday night’s showcase on Netflix between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. But for the Chicago Cubs, they held Opening Day on Thursday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs dropped the opener to the Washington Nationals, falling to 0-1 on the year. It was a shaky start for Ben Brown who was cruising before allowing seven total runs. But before the game, another story regarding Cubs pitching broke from the offseason.
One of Chicago’s needs this offseason was more bullpen help. They almost got it too in the form of former All-Star closer Devin Williams who eventually signed with the New York Mets. However, the Cubs were very much in on Williams per a new report.
Chicago Cubs were outbid for Devin Williams, other relievers
The 31-year-old Williams is now a member of the Mets, signing a three-year deal there this offseason. Prior to that, he was traded by Milwaukee to the New York Yankees last offseason. But Chicago almost had a chance to land him as Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma wrote in The Athletic on Thursday:
The Cubs made a three-year offer to All-Star closer Devin Williams but did not come close to the $51 million that the New York Mets guaranteed. The Mets and Philadelphia Phillies also outbid the Cubs for relievers Luke Weaver and Brad Keller, who each landed two-year, $22 million contracts from those respective NL contenders.
Along with Williams, the report states that the Cubs were also outbid for relievers Luke Weaver and Brad Keller. That’s tough to hear.
The Cubs’ bullpen will be in the spotlight once again this season and on Thursday they saw Boyd give up six earned runs while Ben Brown gave up two. If Chicago’s pitching struggles, it could be a long year for them.
3 takeaways from 2026 Chicago Cubs Opening Day
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