BALL IS IN THEIR CORE
Cavalry isn’t coming to save the day for Cubs, so it’s up to talented vets
It was hard to shake the suspicion that Cubs players were hoping the cavalry was going to ride to the rescue before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. Their offense had rolled to a stop, and
they had lost 21 of their previous 29 road games. If you asked them what position they played, some would have said “fetal.’’ On Tuesday, they wasted a marvelous start by Yu Darvish in a 2-1 loss in St. Louis, and if we’ve learned anything about the enigmatic Darvish, it’s that you never want to waste one of those.
So when the deadline expired with the Cubs not making a blockbuster move, the truth was there for the players to see: It’s all on you now, for better or worse.
Let’s see what these Cubs are made of. This is as big a test of character as anything their core has been through, and that includes winning the World Series in 2016. Winning a title when you’re loaded with talent is nice. Turning around a consistently inconsistent season might have a higher degree of difficulty for a talented team, especially with a grumbling fan base as background music.
Let’s see what that core — Javy Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras and Jon Lester — can do about a team that hasn’t been nearly what it should be. Look at the aforementioned names. How many teams have that strong a nucleus? Very, very few. Get busy, fellas.
If the Cubs can’t turn things around, especially on the road, then it’s a failure of massive proportions, and it’s mostly on those players.
But it’s also on the players who should be better than they are. It’s on Kyle Schwarber, who had a puny .316 on-base percentage heading into the second game against the Cardinals. That number wouldn’t be such a big deal if manager Joe Maddon hadn’t insisted on batting him leadoff in 56 games. It’s on Albert Almora, whose .398 slugging percentage leaves him vulnerable to getting
sand kicked in his face, if not getting sent down to the minors. Remember when those two guys were the future?
And, yes, it’s on newly acquired Nicholas Castellanos, the former Tigers outfielder who could give the Cubs a legitimate threat against left-handed pitchers.
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: The supporting cast needs to start contributing the way Jason Heyward has. Heyward, who was everybody’s favorite and very expensive punching bag his first three seasons with the Cubs, was hitting .278 with 15 home runs. No, those numbers are not worth his $22 million salary, but they’re worth a lot more than what he had given them in the past.
I wrote recently that the Cubs’ veteran leadership had been missing during the team’s road struggles. That struck some as overly vague — leadership isn’t easily seen and felt. All I know is that the Cubs are missing something that’s not easily quantifiable. They still have enough talent, and most of that talent is performing fairly well.
So what’s the problem? Besides a bullpen that management didn’t do enough to address in the offseason, it’s hard to point to something and say, “There — that’s what’s stopping this team from being among the elites.’’ This is when I start to think about abstract, shadowy things that are hard to get a good grip on.
Are the Cubs still living on their laurels from that championship season three long years ago? Are they as hungry as they used to be? Is the fire still there? Is there any accountability when things start to slip? Team president Theo Epstein talked before the season about the need for urgency from the players. Has anyone seen anything resembling urgency from these Cubs?
The analytic freaks can cackle all they want about the concept of intangibles — about hunger, fire and urgency — but the Cubs spend a lot of money on the mental side of player performance. What’s tangible is that something isn’t right, and it has to do with the heart and mind more than the arms and legs.
This would be a very good time for someone or a bunch of someones to change the storyline of this season, which is one of frustration.
Ben Zobrist, on leave while going through a divorce, will be back at some point, but the club has released no dates for his path back to the lineup. People are hoping (praying?) he can be the catalyst. He might want to bring along 100 kilos of smelling salts for his teammates.
Ownership clearly believes it has done its part financially, so acquiring a bigticket player wasn’t going to happen at the trade deadline. We’ve heard all the rationalizations: The franchise has a budget it needs to follow, other projects need funding, the Rickettses aren’t made of money, etc. Meanwhile, pairs of green Wrigley Field seats from the 2018 season are available for $899 a set (plus $132.99 for shipping). Don’t miss out!
So it’s on the players who are here. Whatever happens from this point forward is about how they react to what has been, so far, a disappointing effort. Two words for a drowsy roster:
Look alive.