Why the Cubs couldn't win the only game I went to this weekend, Friday, is beyond me. Just bad luck I guess. But I was able to at least watch on TV, covered in my sisters 3 kids, the late inning dramatics of Dioner Navarro, as he launched a Sac Fly in the 11th to give the Cubs a walk off style win! As Josephine on Twitter wrote..."It ain't over til the fat man swings!" Of course this was after Kevin Gregg did his best 2009 impression of himself and gave up a 2 out, top of the 9th game tying homer to the Pirates, Starling Marte, for the Cubs MLB leading 18th blown save of the year. As they say, "alls well that ends well". And I'm starting to think, after the Cubs have won 5 of their last 7 series', that that particular phrase will hopefully be affixed to the season as a whole. And of those two lost series, only the Cardinals seemed to have the Cubs overmatched. In the series lost to Oakland, the Cubs actually scored as many runs over the course of the series as the first place A's, and they blew a save in the 8th and lost the other game 1-0. Furthermore, the games lost against the Mets and Astros both had blown saves, and could have been sweeps. So, as the Cubs get blown up trade deadline style for the next month, I think it's important to focus on what this team needs to be competitive. Within the last week, Scott Hairston, Scott Feldman, Carlos Marmol, and Steve Clevenger have all been traded. What for?
Well, relief pitching basically. Righty's Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop came from the Orioles Pen, and Matt Guerrier from the Dodgers. Hairston fetched a minor league pitcher to be named later. Arrieta is a 27 year old minor league starter, who was in the pen in Baltimore, though had a spot start or two. Strop had a 2.44 ERA in 70 games last year, but has gone south this year. Guerrier is 35 years old, and most likely NOT part of the Cubs future plans. This trade was a way to get Marmol out of Chicago. Carlos was booed for throwing ball one at Wrigley, and it was an unpleasant and crappy situation for the fans and Carlos. BTW. Marmol has accepted a minor league assignment to work out mechanical flaws. Umm...why didn't the Cubs think of that? With 18 blown saves, the Cubs sorely need more depth in the pen, and we got it with these 3 guys. Now what else do we need? A bat!!
Starlin Castro is having an awful season. And Anthony Rizzo is probably Starlin's best friend right now, because Rizzo is batting .242 to Starlins .233. If Starlin was batting even .270, we'd be saying what happened to Rizzo instead. Fact of the matter is, we need these guys to hit if the Cubs are ever to compete. Right now, it's our scrap heap guys, the injured Sweeney, Dioner Navarro, and Schierholtz that are keeping this team 10 games under .500. Plus the surprisingly great starting pitching. But honestly, you cannot pin all of the blown saves on the bullpen. These guys are pitching day in day out with one run leads. The lack of offense has left the pen with no margin for error most games. The Cubs have the second worst OBP in the National league, and the second worst batting average with RISP. The last place team is surprisingly the Pirates who have the worst average with RISP, but have the best record in baseball. So what's the answer here? Castro and Rizzo have to hit. If by next year this time, they still aren't hitting, it's time to worry. Especially because these unproven youngsters are signed to looooooong contracts. But as fans, we've got to hope they're going to figure it out eventually. Both Rizzo and Castro are under 25. Patience.....
Other areas in need of improvement....defense....the Cubs have committed 60 errors this year, and are 8th in the majors in this category. And passed balls and wild pitches, even dropped third strikes have been an issue. This is not a question of trading for better defense. It's a question of training and practice. Execution and smarter playing. Is Dale Sveum the right manager for this? I personally do not think so, but Theo seems high on him, and I don't get a say in the matter. Soooooo....go Cubs!
Right now, the Cubs are doing what they're supposed to do. Trade away players who are placeholders, like Hairston, and get what you can for em. Get younger, meaner, leaner, and save the money for maybe a big free agent in a year or two. As much as I hate to see the Cubs blow the team up, Feldman and Hairston were hardly Cubs, and Marmol needed a fresh start. The thing I haven't mentioned is that the Cubs are going to be big money players in the international market as well. Many of these trades have included "slots" and extra cash to be spent on the World stage. This is a VERY good thing. Sure, these guys are 16 years old now, but so was Big Papi once. Aroldis Chapman. Fukudome....hahahaha...JK. What I'm hoping for with this team teardown and build up is for the Cubs to build a competitive team for always. Like the Yanks or Cards. We in Chicago deserve it. This is a great baseball town. And after 1 World Series championship, it'll be on. Curse off. Rings on.
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