The Chicago Cubs sit in first place atop the NL Central Division and have showcased some real elite-level chops in the process, powered by a potent and versatile offense that ranks among baseball‘s best.
But no first-place lead is secure in mid-to-late June, and the Cubs have shown some signs of coming apart at the seams.
Specifically, the problem has been with their pitching.
Chicago Cubs pitching insecurity
The Cubs’ starting rotation has been battered and depleted. Ace Justin Steele went down in early April, lost for this season and beyond after elbow surgery. About a month later, the team lost co-ace Shota Imanaga with a hamstring injury. Before all of that, they lost projected fifth starter Javier Assad due to an oblique issue and have yet to get one competitive pitch from the righty.
In the bullpen, manager Craig Counsell and staff have managed to turn a ragtag group of mostly castoffs into one of the league’s best, from a liability to a strength. But, recently, the miraculous bullpen turnaround appears to be busting apart, with back-to-back poor games and a general feeling that the magic might be wearing off.
So, with that in mind, the focus will be fixed on pitching ahead of this trade deadline, where a Cubs team with serious postseason aspirations looks to be aggressive in acquiring missing pieces.
“Our position-playing group has been outstanding both offensively and defensively,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently told reporters. “That gives some clarity. Obviously, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next month-and-a-half with that group. But right now, the focus would be on adding pitching and adding pitching depth. That would be the clear thing.”
But how much will the team need to acquire ahead of a pennant race and, hopefully, a deep playoff run?
A tall order before trade deadline
Realistically, the Cubs may need at least three big pickups before the July 31 trade deadline.
That flies in the face of the widespread belief that the team is just one front-of-rotation starter away from getting where they need to be in terms of pitching strength.
Imanaga returning to the starting rotation, as soon as next week’s series with the St. Louis Cardinals, is a big deal. But even with the Japanese star’s return, that only gives the Cubs three established starters to last through the dog days of summer and into a playoff run– Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon.
Currently, the rest of the rotation is made up of a veteran swing man (Colin Rea), a rookie (Cade Horton), and a talented, but wildly inconsistent sophomore (Ben Brown).
The Cubs will need to trade for that front-of-rotation starter, but also, ideally, another proven back-of-rotation piece to solidify things down the stretch.
They will also need another high-end reliever, preferably a swing-and-miss lefty with closer potential, who can work in tandem with the relatively inexperienced 25-year-old Cubs closer Daniel Palencia.
Looking at the still-forming market
The question is now “who” the Cubs can acquire (as well as how much of their future they’re willing to trade away in pursuit of postseason play this season). Right now, with most teams still deciding on whether they’re sellers or buyers, there aren’t many names on the market.
“We’re in the information-gathering process still,” Hoyer said. “There’s still very few teams that would be fully categorized as sellers. For the most part, right now, the teams that have struggled think they can get back in the race, other than a handful. We’re not quite there yet.”
Three big, meaningful acquisitions at the trade deadline is a tall order. Most likely, the front office will have to get crafty with their pickups, settling for one big one and hoping for the best on smaller trade gambles.
Whatever the case, the Cubs have a real chance at doing some special things this year. What Hoyer and crew do this next month or so may make all the difference between an exciting fall or a summer letdown.
Cubs Rumors: Time is running short for 1 bullpen arm
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