Cubs Weekly: Alex Cohen knows which free agent the Cubs should sign

·26 min·2 clips

The Cubs sign reliever Phil 'Spin Rate' Maton in one of MLB's earliest offseason moves.

The episode begins with hosts Lance Brozdowski and guest Alex Cohen celebrating Thanksgiving and acknowledging Cohen's recognition as a rising play-by-play announcer. They immediately dive into the Cubs' signing of reliever Phil Maton, analyzing his pitch metrics and the strategic timing of the move. Cohen advocates for adding high-velocity reliever Robert Suarez to bolster the bullpen. The discussion expands to starting pitching targets, with Cohen suggesting Ryan Helsley as a potential conversion from reliever to starter, while Brozdowski raises concerns about Helsley's limited pitch mix. Alternative options like Michael King and Brad Keller are evaluated for their cost and injury histories. The focus shifts to offensive needs, particularly right field, where Cohen proposes signing Adolis García for power and flexibility. They examine the roster logjam involving prospects like Moises Ballesteros, who may be trade candidates due to limited playing time. The hosts express cautious optimism about the offense repeating its 2025 performance, highlighting variables like Pete Crow-Armstrong's development. They note the Cubs' unusual 40-man roster space, providing trade leverage. The episode concludes with a lighthearted Thanksgiving segment where Cohen shares his unconventional feast of duck, sashimi, and lo mein, and both hosts rank traditional side dishes.

As heard by us

A Thanksgiving Cubs discussion turns free-agent pitching into a clear argument about risk, workload, and rotation depth.

Cubs Weekly uses a Thanksgiving-week check-in as a grounded Cubs offseason conversation, moving from Alex Cohen's recognition among 26 rising play-by-play announcers into the club's early reliever signing and the larger question of how the pitching staff should be built.

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Why you'd press play

You get a Cubs rotation case built around King's upside, injury risk, and what a $22 million-a-year shot might do for the pitching staff.

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