The Chicago Cubs lost Friday night in St. Louis against the division rival Cardinals. They also fell one more game behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who never seem to lose. They now stand 5 games behind the first place Brewers in the NL Central Division.
Shut out 5-0, the story continues to revolve around a once-prodigious offense which has sputtered and stalled since, really, the second half of June.
With the lack of hitting, added weight is being heaped on to the shoulders of an already stressed and strained pitching staff that began the season with question marks.
There was a chance to add more arms to this roster for the impending pennant race, and more bats as well. Rumors ran rampant that the “all-in” Cubs would be aggressive in pursuing talent before the July 31 trade deadline. Names like Eugenio Suarez, Mackenzie Gore, Edward Cabrera, Mitch Keller, and Merrill Kelly circulated as targets.
Disappointment from a trade deadline fail?
However, when the dust settled, Cubs president Jed Hoyer and his crew only picked up the oft-injured Michael Soroka, a back-of-rotation starter who would hit the IL after two innings pitched in his Cubs debut, as well as relievers Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers, and infielder/outfielder Willi Castro.
The disappointment among Cubs fans was palpable. You could see it and feel it all throughout online chatter.
But were the Cubs players, themselves, affected by the lack of front office-acquired cavalry? Was the clubhouse morale affected by the higher-ups’ unwillingness or inability to acquire assets to help push them through a run to the postseason?
Anthony Rizzo on the psychology of clubhouse morale
In a recent appearance on the Glory Daze Podcast, former Cubs star and Chicago World Series legend, Anthony Rizzo, let slip a revealing bit of clubhouse psychology related to how a winning team perceives trade deadline acquisitions:
“We were in 2016 and we were the best team and then we go out and get the best closer, Aroldis Chapman. And we’re just like, ‘Holy sh*t, no one’s gonna beat us.’
And then there’s years where we’re in that same position and they don’t give us that boost…In the clubhouse, you’re like ‘What are we doing?’ And it’s no disrespect to the guys they bring in…There have been years where there are guys out there that we know we can go get that the front offices don’t align or what not. But when you get that big piece it’s [a huge shot in the arm].”
Now, you probably won’t get any of the current Cubs players to cop to a letdown after this trade deadline. But humans are humans and it’s a sure thing that all of the team was watching the news, wondering who Hoyer and company were bringing in for what promised to be a tough run to the playoffs and, hopefully, beyond. And when the big pickups failed to materialize, in the face of clear and present roster needs, a bit of the wind had to have been knocked out of their sails.
Their post-deadline performances show a definite lack of vigor and resolve.
Chicago Cubs, bailing on present?
And it certainly doesn’t help matters any when Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins does an interview with ESPN, basically saying that the front office opted to not invest in winning this year.
“It’s hard when you see other teams you’re competing with get really good players, but those aren’t decisions you’re making in the moment,” Hawkins told Jesse Rogers. “…It takes some discipline, especially in a moment when you see things moving that way, but we were able to stick to our approach and felt really good about the adds we were able to make.
“Teams are trying to find that guy that can lock down the eighth or ninth inning but that also costs a lot. That costs a lot of future wins. We have a responsibility to the 2025 Cubs but also the 2032 Cubs. That’s not always popular in the moment, but it’s decisions we have to make.”
No soldiers ever won a war, inspired by rallying cries about responsible roster management and sound business decisions.
This Cubs team CAN turn things around. They still have a lot of talent and are fortified with a lot of gumption. But it’ll be considerably more difficult without the missing roster pieces of their championship puzzle and without the morale boost from a front office willing to bet big on their success.
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