Chicago Cubs: Current players need to infuse life into team
The defending world champion Chicago Cubs enter the All-Star break with a losing record. The team’s front office is mulling over possible deals, but the players already on the roster need to look into the mirror and bring back the championship attitude.
After winning the World Series last year, many expected the Chicago Cubs to make another run in 2017. Eight months after the celebration, however, they own a mediocre 43-45 record. Not much has gone right for the team. Injuries, poor play, and perhaps a championship hangover all contributed to their porous record.
The only positive the Cubs can hang their hats on is the fact that in spite of their record, they are in second place (albeit tied with the St. Louis Cardinals). With the way the teams in the National League West are playing, winning the division is the only way the Cubs make the playoffs.
This team needs an infusion of life to lift its spirits.
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The non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching. Cubs president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer made the right moves to add to the team last season. They need a repeat performance if the Cubs are to get a chance to defend their title in the playoffs. Also, some key players need to come out of their season-long slumps to jump-start the team.
That last part is more important than anything the front office does.
Many of the key players on this team are seriously under-performing. On offense, Kyle Schwarber is hitting .178. Addison Russell is at .226 while World Series MVP Ben Zobrist is at .214. While Anthony Rizzo hit 20 home runs so far, his average is down to .259 (he usually hits closer to .300). The offense struggled so much that the second-highest batting average belonged to Miguel Montero, who the Cubs shipped to Toronto because of his mouth.
Pitching-wise, Jon Lester, who lasted only two-thirds of an inning in his last outing Sunday before the break, owns a 4.25 ERA. Jake Arrieta is at 4.35 and John Lackey is at a whopping 5.20. Kyle Hendricks also struggled with a 4.09 ERA, but he hurt his middle finger on his throwing hand and missed time since the middle of June.
These are the guys who gave the Cubs their swagger last season. For some reason, they haven’t had it in 2017. Whoever the team brings in before the deadline won’t matter if these guys cannot get it going.
Perhaps having just one All-Star works to the Cubs’ favor. All the players I mentioned get to rest. The Cubs don’t play again until Friday against the Baltimore Orioles so the players have a chance to recharge their batteries and get their minds back on the task of winning ballgames and getting back into the playoffs.
Epstein recently spoke about the Cubs’ biggest fix:
"Our biggest fixes are inside the clubhouse. This is largely the same club that won 200 games, averaged 100 wins over the last two years. There’s not a player that we can realistically bring in from the outside that can spur us to play at that level. We’re going to get to that point of playing to that level because of the guys that are here."
For his part, Zobrist welcomes the break:
"For me, it’s been a tough first half, one of the toughest of my career. Injury-wise, I’ve been battling stuff all year. [There have been] inconsistencies at the plate, and also I’ve been very unlucky.It’s been one of those tough first halves. That’s the great thing about this game is that it’s a long season and we have the opportunity to turn it around as a club and we’re still within striking distance. That’s the thing we take consolation in the first half."
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We can talk all day about bringing in Justin Verlander or Chris Archer or Christian Yelich to help the team. If the key players who helped bring the title last year don’t wake up and start performing, the Chicago Cubs won’t defend their title in the playoffs. They will be at home watching other teams fight for their title.