ONE & DONE
Wild-card disappointment has Cubs looking for improvement
CARLSBAD, Calif. — The Cubs won 95 games, yet it all felt dissatisfying because multiple pieces from their positional core regressed and they went out early in the playoffs.
Does it sound like a certain team from The Bronx you might know?
The Cubs’ victory total was second in the NL, but by losing the one-game matchup to determine the Central title to the Brewers, they finished one game behind Milwaukee, fell to the wild card and were eliminated by the Rockies (both of those losses coming at Wrigley Field).
Two seasons after winning their first title in 108 years and despite making the playoffs for a fourth straight campaign — unprecedented for the franchise — the Cubs left their fan base upset about the outcome. Much of this was tied to an offense that scored three or fewer runs 76 times, fifth worst in the NL (and 77 times if the wild-card game is counted). As surely as Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez plummeted for the Yankees, so did Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber for the Cubs — a reminder that a) such things are not localized in New York and b) that progression of young players is neither linear nor promised.
The good vibes surrounding the team that brought such championship joy to Chicago has receded. Shortstop Addison Russell was suspended for 40 games for violating MLB’s domestic-abuse policy and the Cubs are weighing whether to bring back what once seemed a cornerstone player. Plus, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein declared there would be no extension even discussed until after 2019 (if at all) with manager Joe Maddon, whose five-year, $25 million pact expires following the season.
“We have a group of young players that has won more games over the last four years [387] than any team,” Cubs GM Jed Hoyer told me. “Collectively we did not take another step forward in 2018 and perhaps we took a step back. But as a group, I would still bet on these guys.”
That appears the Cubs’ plan. They picked up Cole Hamels’ $20 million 2019 option and traded Drew Smyly’s $7 million pact to the Rangers. Chicago is not operating with much budget to spend, so it is doubling down on the core group. Though the Cubs could try to make a significant move by trading a young position player such as Happ and/or Schwarber.