The Chicago Cubs have hit their first real rough patch of the season. They’ve lost their last two series and five of their last seven games.
These things happen. Even the best teams go through rough patches. The season is just too long for there NOT to be these ebbs and flows in performance.
But that doesn’t mean teams should just accept losses and not work to try and prevent as many as possible.
In the case of the Cubs, this might mean fine tuning their roster for a long season and making sure that the bench is capable of stepping up to contribute.
As things stand right now, the Cubs’ starting lineup is doing all of the heavy lifting for the club. As the season wears on and the schedule grinds down the everyday players, the bench will be of increasing importance– not only in case of injury, but as capable fill-ins to give starters a much-needed rest on occasion.
The Chicago Cubs May Need To Add By Subtraction
With that in mind, it may be time for the team to consider optimizing their bench and moving on from two current players.
Justin Turner was signed to a one-year deal this offseason as a capable bat off the bench who could occasionally fill in at first base and, ever-so-occasionally, at third.
And while Turner brings a ton of experience to the team and appears to be a very popular clubhouse presence, he’s failed to deliver at any level on the field.
Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation recently had this to say about the 17-year-veteran:
“Right now, Turner, 40, is hitting .155/.271/.155/35 wRC+. Just 11 hitters in baseball have at least 70 PAs and a worse wRC+, which is all the more alarming when you consider the Turner is here exclusively for his bat. There are no encouraging signs under the hood, either, and we are fast-approaching the time when the Cubs may have to make a difficult decision about a guy who is undoubtedly a huge positive in the clubhouse.”
Life would be so much easier if Turner would just hit, a little. Even a few home runs with a poor batting average and not-so-horrible defense could justify his presence on a Cubs team pushing for the postseason.
Unfortunately, the time may have come for the team to give his roster spot to someone who isn’t a negative sum presence. You’d hate to lose Turner’s experience and leadership, but production from a key bench piece is important as starters begin to need breathers.
Another Possible Cut
In the same category as Turner is utility man Vidal Brujan, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins for first base prospect Matt Mervis.
The 27-year-old Brujan began the season on the IL, but has contributed upon his return as if he were still on the IL.
With just 2 hits in 10 at bats, the one-time highly-regarded prospect has been almost invisible and has been an afterthought throughout the young season.
Zachary Rotman of Fansided recently wondered aloud why Brujan is still around:
“To be honest, I don’t understand why they traded for him and still roster him either. Brujan entered this season with a career slash line of .189/.261/.270 with five home runs and 40 RBI over parts of four seasons. Sure, he offers decent speed and solid defensive versatility, but his bat has never played at the MLB level. He was worth a career -1.2 bWAR over that four-season span.
It’s tough to see the appeal when it came to trading for him, and it’s definitely tough to justify the team rostering him at this point.”
With Jon Berti and Nicky Lopez performing all the roles he was brought aboard to perform, Brujan’s presence on the team seems entirely unnecessary. Although his ability to play some outfield is useful, the Cubs keeping three utility men on the roster seems like overkill.
Replacements?
If Brujan and Turner do end up being cut– and there may be more of a case for cutting Brujan than Turner right now– the Cubs will have to decide on how to replace them.
A fourth outfielder might be a wise choice, someone who can spell Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Tucker on occasion. Prospect Kevin Alcantara might be the right man for that job. The 22-year-old is defensively sound in all three outfield spots and may be in need of some new challenges to stimulate his continued growth as a player.
The last roster spot could eventually be filled by a returning Matt Shaw, who has been making his case for a big league return in Triple-A Iowa.
Whatever the case, the Cubs will need to have a fully functioning 26-man roster or they will suffer the consequences down the line.
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