The Chicago Cubs’ primary objective this past offseason was the playoffs. That’s really no different than every other team. Everyone WANTS to make the postseason.
But the Cubs had made a point of declaring themselves “all-in” when it came to making the playoffs, their first time since the abbreviated 2020 season, hoping to actually get some playoff wins for the first time since 2017.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made the team’s intentions clear by pulling the trigger on a 3-for-1 trade with the Houston Astros for multi-tool right fielder Kyle Tucker, who was in his last contract year before becoming a free agent.
The Chicago Cubs were “all-in”
The Tucker trade, specifically, told the team that the higher-ups were serious about winning this year.
And the team responded to the vote of confidence by playing like a serious postseason team. They bludgeoned their way into having the best record in baseball at one point. A recent slump, however, has brought the Cubs down to earth a bit and it cost them their first place standing in the NL Central Division.
But their eyes are still on the postseason, even though the route there may have to lead through a Wild Card spot at this point.
That’s why starting pitcher Jameson Taillon now finds himself on the 15-day IL.
Keeping an eye on playoff needs
Taillon, who had just come back from an extended stint on the IL with a right calf strain, experienced some tightness in his left hamstring during his last start on Sunday against the Angels, where he was pulled after just 5 innings and 62 pitches. Even after a subsequent bullpen session produced no extreme discomfort, manager Craig Counsell made the call to place the veteran righty on the IL.
Counsell was not shy about saying that the move was made with an eye on the playoffs.
“I think (Taillon) could go out there and pitch,” Counsell told reporters. “I just don’t think it’s the smart thing to do. We all agree on that. In a different situation, maybe we push this. I don’t think this is the right time to push that.”
Key rotation piece Matthew Boyd has been struggling of late and it has to be noted that he’s working to complete his first full, healthy season on the mound since 2019. Rookie Cade Horton, meanwhile, is at 122.2 innings this year, between Chicago and Iowa, far surpassing his previous season high 88.1 innings. Concern over his arm health already has him working under a loose pitch count.
Even with the previously injured Javier Assad coming up and injured trade deadline acquisition Michael Soroka aiming for a return before too long, the Cubs will need the experienced Taillon in the playoffs.
“In my mind, being a good teammate means taking the ball,” Taillon told media after the move to place him on the IL. “That’s really important to me. I hate going on the IL. But that being said, the way I had this presented to me was: ‘We’re playing for the long haul here. You’d be a bad teammate if you really pound the table and push through this and screw the team for what’s really important here.’
“If I made something worse, and I missed the last couple weeks of September or the playoffs, that’s not the right thing to do. Trying to have that longer-term view and that big-picture view is important.
“We have bigger goals in mind than the next two weeks. “Every game’s extremely important, which is why I have a hard time just accepting it. But hopefully we’re playing deep into October, and hopefully I’m a really big part of that. It’s important to get this right.”
The danger of looking too far ahead
However, while the Cubs seem to be playing it relatively safe in hopes of a deep playoff run, there’s still some concern about the regular season.
Chicago is only 1.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres in the important first Wild Card spot, which would guarantee them home field advantage in the first round. They are only 4 games ahead of the New York Mets, who currently hold the third Wild Card spot in the National League. The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, are just 4.5 games behind the Cubs.
The Cubs are not yet guaranteed top seed in the Wild Card series and another prodigious slump could see them slip to third seed or, even worse, out of the playoffs altogether.
It’s hard to question Counsell’s decision to place Taillon on the IL. All things considered, it was the right move to make. But it was also a hefty gamble, considering all of the question marks following the team right now.
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