MLB: ***Official 2021 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***

[cyfanatic13]

Well I’m sad. However, I don’t totally think the season is toast but the mounting injuries will probably make it that way. 6 games back isn’t insurmountable by any means, and Cubs still have a month worth of games yet against the awful Rockies, D-Backs, Royals, Twins, and Marlins. Also another 30 vs the three teams below us in the central.

Things are not looking good but they’ve managed to go over .500 so far and are done with the Dodgers and Padres and only three more games against the Giants at home.

TLDR: The schedule gets easier

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Who if anyone from the 40 man roster Is off limits at the deadline? Contreras, Hoerner, Aldzolay, Hendricks, and maybe Steele?

I don't think Steele is on that list and, frankly, I think Contreras and Hendricks should be available for the right (incredibly high) price.

Marquez and Amaya are off limits too

 

[larrysarmy]

I don't think Steele is on that list and, frankly, I think Contreras and Hendricks should be available for the right (incredibly high) price.

Marquez and Amaya are off limits too

Keegan Thompson as well, him, Steele and Adbert are actually home grown, young pitching. Agree on Hendricks and Willy, as they still have some club control after this year.

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

Well I’m sad. However, I don’t totally think the season is toast but the mounting injuries will probably make it that way. 6 games back isn’t insurmountable by any means, and Cubs still have a month worth of games yet against the awful Rockies, D-Backs, Royals, Twins, and Marlins. Also another 30 vs the three teams below us in the central.

Things are not looking good but they’ve managed to go over .500 so far and are done with the Dodgers and Padres and only three more games against the Giants at home.

TLDR: The schedule gets easier

I’m not giving up till we’re 10 games behind first place.

 

[BigJCy]

I’m not giving up till we’re 10 games behind first place.

You might not but the Front Office may before then.

 

[ISUCubswin]

My guess is we end up buying 2 starting pitchers. Berrios from the Twins and Gray or Marquez from the Rockies. I wouldn’t be shocked to see us buy in the next week or two either and then if we can’t do anything with what we’ve bought, start selling.

 

[BigJCy]

 

[CycloneErik]

Nowhere to go but up!

 

[cyclonespiker33]

Cubs were the 2nd team since 1900 to score 7+ runs in the 1st inning and lose by 7+ runs


That's fun

 

[Clonefan32]

Given the recent history of the Cubs front office might I suggest the George Costanza approach to the deadline? Just do the exact opposite of what your instincts are telling you to do?

 

[Clark]

I'd say it would be nice to have Schwarber right now but if he were still a Cub he'd have about 10 less homers.

 

[CYdTracked]

This is the 2nd big slump the offense has been in this year to go with the horrible start to the season and now starting pitching is becoming a concern too. Really am starting to think that the hot streak was just a mirage and things are starting to average out again. I do think they could be both buyers and sellers at the deadline in a sense that they could trade off the assets they have that likely won't be back next season in order to get some prospects or MLB ready caliber talent with team control back in return. I could also see them buying on guys that have team control or years left on their contract too that could shore up some of the holes they have to deal with going into next season and beyond too. The starting pitching is in dire need of some help and will be a position that will have to be addressed regardless. Arietta looks like he is done, Davies is a free agent after this season and will likely not be back, Mills hasn't looked too good lately, Alzolay has looked good at times and bad as well as he figures it out as 1st year starting at this level, Williams is garbage IMO as he was a reclamation project that probably will not work out even if he can get healthy again.

Even if they were to pick up a couple rental starters I still don't have confidence in this offense to do anything in the playoffs. We've seen this broken record too many times since 2016, when they get hot its fun to watch but eventually they go ice cold for stretches and look terrible. Been an offense built on the long ball for way to long and never have had a consistent leadoff guy since Fowler left. They just don't manufacture runs well like good teams with balanced lineups can do when the ball is not leaving the park. This is all about going to be maximizing returns for the future and possibly finding some guys they can afford to take back some salary that they won't have to send much to get back for that are still productive and have some years or team control left on their contracts. I would be shocked if they held this roster intact and just added pieces to try and keep in the race because the Darvish trade was the signal that ownership and front office knows a rebuild is immenent.

 

[NoCreativity]

Given the recent history of the Cubs front office might I suggest the George Costanza approach to the deadline? Just do the exact opposite of what your instincts are telling you to do?

Agreed, this front office has been a total dumpster fire since 2016.

 

[NoCreativity]

I don't watch alot of other teams but do other teams continue to trot out sub .200 hitters like Heyward and Happ on a nightly basis? I mean batting .189 is ok for a month or so but when you are at the halfway point in the season something is wrong.
They need to sell immediately. This organization has reverted back to being a dumpster fire from top to bottom starting with the Ricketts clowns.

 

[CYdTracked]

32 AB resulting in 14 K's tonight YIKES! 7.5 games back now, this team is going to sell its just a matter of do they have some deals lined up ready to pull the trigger sooner or are they in a holding pattern until closer to the deadline. I've been onboard with signing Rizzo and Baez to extensions but if they are no where close on money with they way they have hit last year and so far this season during a contract year makes me wonder if they are worth committing more than 3 years to them right now trending in the wrong direction.

I hate to say this but there really is not a player on this roster right now that gets me excited about being the cornerstone of the franchise going forward. As fun as it is to watch Baez and Contreras when they are at their best they are just as frustrating to watch their roller coaster performances and flaws too when they are at their worst. Happ looks like his ceiling may be a poor man's Ben Zobrist. The talent on the roster is not nearly the mess Theo took over going into 2012 but its starting to become painfully obvious that things are going to get worse before they get better as there is not much in the minors to get excited about at the moment. I said it before this season and I say it again now, the Cubs are at a crossroads and they can choose to stay the course and add to the mortgage to attempt to compete in the short term and have nothing to show for it when this core of players walks for nothing in free agency or they can cash in on all the assets they have now and restock the talent in the farm system to put the franchise on more solid ground for the long haul.

 

[BigJCy]

 

[CYdTracked]

I don't watch alot of other teams but do other teams continue to trot out sub .200 hitters like Heyward and Happ on a nightly basis? I mean batting .189 is ok for a month or so but when you are at the halfway point in the season something is wrong.
They need to sell immediately. This organization has reverted back to being a dumpster fire from top to bottom starting with the Ricketts clowns.

What sucks is we are stuck with Heyward because no one will eat that contract in a trade so you might as well pay him to be a gold glove OF that can't hit than pay him to do the same for another team. Happ's ceiling is a poor man's Ben Zobrist and they have had opportunities to trade him when he's been hot but keep sticking with him hoping he turns into a player he will not be.

 

[NoCreativity]

Lol, breaking all kinds of futility records since June 1st. And this is from a team who I thought pitching was their weakness.

 

[CYdTracked]

Seems like the Cubs are setting new records for offensive futility this season. The start of this season was the worst start by any team in a very long time. It's crazy to think this same team that got hot for awhile has bookended it with 2 of the worst hitting performances of all time.

 

[NoCreativity]

What sucks is we are stuck with Heyward because no one will eat that contract in a trade so you might as well pay him to be a gold glove OF that can't hit than pay him to do the same for another team. Happ's ceiling is a poor man's Ben Zobrist and they have had opportunities to trade him when he's been hot but keep sticking with him hoping he turns into a player he will not be.

Surely they can find someone that can play decent defense and bat at least .200 that doesn't cost 21 million a year?