With the Chicago Cubs' offense off to a roaring start, there is a lot of positivity surrounding the club. However, the pitching has been suspect, with the majority of the concern surrounding the bullpen.
In a new article from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, the Cubs are predicted as one of the teams that should sign free-agent reliever Will Smith. In 2024, Smith struggled, finishing with a 6.53 ERA in 41 and one-third innings pitched. However, he has a unique track record that should spark some intrigue.
Before joining the Kansas City Royals in 2024, Smith bounced around between three different teams. Those three teams all happened to win the World Series the year he was there.
In 2021, Smith was a reliever for the Atlanta Braves, finishing with a 3.44 ERA in 68 innings. The Braves won the World Series, and Smith had a 0.00 ERA in 11 innings during their postseason run.
Partway through the 2022 season, Smith was traded to the Houston Astros. While he didn't make an appearance in the postseason, the Astros won the World Series. In 2023, Smith signed with the Texas Rangers and subsequently won the World Series.
His track record is impressive. Smith played on three different teams over three years and won three World Series, an incredible feat. He's brought incredible luck with him in three of his last four stops.
Smith is 35 years old and would be playing in his 13th MLB season if he joined the Cubs. While Smith had a down year in 2024, his previous seasons were solid enough for a depth piece in the bullpen.
Bleacher Report's prediction that the Cubs will sign Smith is a good fit. It helps add depth to the Cubs' bullpen while opening the door to Smith bringing that postseason magic to Chicago.
The Cubs have a long history of dealing with baseball mystique, but it's been the bad kind their entire history. After finally breaking their curse by winning the World Series in 2016, it would be a nice change of pace for the Cubs to have a positive mystique impact on their team.
