Cubs are watching their worst trade deadline decision come back to haunt them

The Chicago Cubs didn't sit on their hands at the trade deadline. Jed Hoyer went shopping, added pitching and gave this roster more help for October.

He just may have stopped one move too soon.

The bullpen has become an uncomfortable problem at exactly the wrong time, and Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers was another reminder of what Chicago failed to add before the deadline passed.

Cubs keep finding new ways to lose late

This one should have been over.

Carson Kelly's pinch-hit double gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead in the ninth. Chicago needed three outs. Jacob Webb got the first two before everything unraveled.

Christian Yelich singled. Jackson Chourio followed with a two-run homer. Tie game.

Milwaukee finished the job in the 10th.

One blown lead can be dismissed as a bad night. This has gone well beyond that. The Cubs have lost nine straight games in which they surrendered a lead dating back to Aug. 21.

That's not exactly the habit a team wants to take into October.

Webb has been part of the problem, but pinning everything on him would be too easy. Craig Counsell is trying to piece together the final innings with the arms Hoyer gave him.

There isn't an obvious answer.

Jed Hoyer may have left one job unfinished

That's what makes the deadline worth revisiting.

Hoyer didn't ignore the pitching staff. Far from it. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes were brought in to strengthen the rotation, while Ryan Zeferjahn gave Counsell another option out of the bullpen.

The Cubs made themselves better.

But who was getting the ball with a one-run lead in the ninth?

That question never really disappeared.

Chicago could have gone after a more established late-inning option and chose to spend its resources elsewhere. Maybe that decision made sense when the deadline arrived. It looks a whole lot shakier now.

Counsell can move guys around. He can play matchups. He can ride whichever reliever happens to be throwing well.

Eventually, though, somebody has to get the last three outs.

Cubs are stuck with the answer they already have

There's no deadline deal coming to rescue the bullpen now.

Whatever solution Chicago finds has to be sitting in that clubhouse already. Perhaps Zeferjahn grabs the job. Maybe Webb settles down. Counsell could even decide a traditional closer isn't necessary and mix his relievers based on matchups.

Any of those could work.

That's a lot of “could” for a team with October expectations.

Hoyer did plenty at the deadline, which almost makes this more frustrating. The Cubs didn't need an overhaul. They needed one more dependable arm at the back of the bullpen.

A month later, they're still looking for one.

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