CHICAGO ¨C One thing the Cubs would very much like to accomplish before the upcoming season is adding some more experience to the back end of their bullpen. On that front, the North Siders were in on free-agent closer Tanner Scott before he reached an agreement with the Dodgers on Sunday.

Per MLB.com¡¯s Mark Feinsand¡¯s sources, Scott is headed to Los Angeles via a four-year, $72 million deal. Sources also told MLB.com that the Cubs were willing to go to four years to reel in the ace reliever, but the Dodgers had the larger monetary offer. So, Chicago is forced to look elsewhere for late-inning help.

¡°That¡¯s something that we have to address and we¡¯ve been looking to address,¡± Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told a packed ballroom at Cubs Convention this weekend. ¡°Listen, we¡¯ve talked to dozens of relievers this offseason.¡±

Hoyer¡¯s preference for assembling a bullpen is to build from within and identify ¡°hidden gems,¡± but the need for experience is undeniable within manager Craig Counsell¡¯s current group. While Porter Hodge authored a stellar rookie showing in 2024, his nine career saves are the most for any pitcher on the 40-man roster.

The veteran Scott ¨C with his 2.04 ERA, 34 saves and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings across 146 appearances (150 innings) over the past two seasons combined ¨C would have been a massive addition for Chicago. Alternatives left on the free-agent market include names like Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Kenley Jansen, Paul Sewald, Kyle Finnegan and Carlos Est¨¦vez, among others, with MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reporting that the Cubs "are among several teams pursuing Est¨¦vez." Chicago will also likely scour the trade market for possibilities.

¡°We¡¯d like to add in that area,¡± Counsell said. ¡°You want players back there that when you worked towards a win and you¡¯ve got three outs to go, you feel really good about getting it. And really, I would put it to the last three innings of a game. You¡¯re really trying to win those last three innings.¡±

Counsell discusses DH with Suzuki

With three-time Gold Glove Award winner Ian Happ in left field and star Kyle Tucker acquired this offseason to patrol right, Seiya Suzuki stands to get the bulk of his playing time as the Cubs¡¯ designated hitter this year. That was the message Counsell relayed to Suzuki in a chat last week.

¡°He understands. He¡¯s on board,¡± Counsell said at Cubs Convention this weekend. ¡°He wants to play the field, but he understands that right now, this is where the team sits. I know that he¡¯s going to play a lot of outfield. You hope Kyle and Ian are healthy, obviously, and if they are, they¡¯re going to play. But things will happen.¡±

Last year, Suzuki shifted to DH duties on a regular basis on Aug. 16, found a routine and hit .326 with a .933 OPS in 37 games from that point on. Even so, he expressed to the Cubs after the season that he preferred to play right field. Suzuki will get chances in left and right at times, but Tucker will be the team¡¯s primary option in the field.

¡°If Seiya is DHing a lot, that means that everybody¡¯s healthy,¡± Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly said. ¡°That¡¯s the goal of it. We know that a big league season doesn¡¯t always work like that. Guys get hurt or need days off, so there will be some opportunities.¡±

Updates on Swanson, Hoerner

Shortstop Dansby Swanson (core surgery) and second baseman Nico Hoerner (flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm) were both at Cubs Convention this weekend and feeling positive about their progress on the rehab front. Swanson, in particular, expressed optimism that his preseason should be relatively normal.

¡°I¡¯m not concerned or worried about having to take time off or do anything different in Spring Training,¡± said Swanson, who noted his injury first flared up in the ¡®23 season. ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s a little bit of a different ramp-up than years past, because of the series in Japan [March 18-19 vs. the Dodgers], but I knew that going into the procedure.¡±

Hoerner¡¯s timeline is less certain. While the second baseman said he was ¡°pumped¡± about how he felt, he has yet to resume hitting or begin a throwing progression. His potential availability for the start of the season (the Japan Series or the March 27 road opener against the D-backs) will become clearer as camp progresses.

¡°I¡¯m happy with the progress that I¡¯m making,¡± Hoerner said. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to, from Day 1, start projecting out. I think I do myself and the team a bit of a disservice if I rush this process in any way. I think it is in my nature to push towards that direction, but straight up reps and work ethic, effort, doesn¡¯t really heal your tendons. Patience is a huge part of it, too.¡±