Whatever

There is not much reason to write about the Cubs or to watch them for that matter.  Still, it is in the blood, so I am compelled to do so.  What is pretty clear is this team is going nowhere.

There are two worthwhile pieces I came across during the week, one analyzing Jeff Samardzija and the other Junior Lake.  Both are worth a read.

The season is one-third over.  The Cubs project to continue losing a little less than two of every three games.  Maybe worse if they trade away all their starting pitchers in June or July.  Either way it looks like 100 losses again.

Time for even the Cubs to start drawing some conclusions.  Like this rebuilding plan resembles nothing so much as Groundhog Day and needs some tweaks, don't you think?

Anyway, here are some obvious conclusions, starting with the building blocks.

Anthony Rizzo is developing into a pretty good player, just not along the lines of a classic power-hitting first baseman.  Rizzo looks to me like a poor man's Joey Votto right now.  On a good team, he would be an excellent #2 hitter, assuming there was a #3 to back him up and a leadoff man who got on base.

Starlin Castro is a decent major league player.  He is hopelessly misplaced batting cleanup and will likely settle in as a #6 hitter on a decent team.  Even when he was batting near .300 and getting 200 hits, his OPS was in the mid .700s.  In other words, not a star, especially considering his erratic defense.  If you think Baez is the real deal, you should trade Castro or move him to CF.

Wellington Castillo still has potential, but he needs more consistent rest to develop into a solid hitter.  He needs help from his pitchers to control the running game, which he is not getting.

The rest of the position players are not much to write home about.  Lake is still a project, as is Olt.  Valbuena, despite his streaks and newly-minted patience, is still just a left-handed hitter who can hit fastballs from mid-level pitchers.  In short, he is a perfect utility infielder and pinch-hitter.  Barney is still a great infielder who will always be about a .250 hitter.  A good team would find him invaluable as a stabilizing influence on the infield.  Unfortunately, the Cubs sparing use of him this year has just not let him find his stride as a hitter and has destroyed whatever trade value he may have possessed.

One of the genuine puzzlers for me this season is the infatuation the Cubs have developed for Emilio Bonafacio.  Bonafacio is a career mediocrity.  He has speed to burn, but doesn't use it and when he does it gets him in so much trouble on the bases, you wish he hadn't.

Bonafacio started the season on fire.  Since then he has returned to his basic form.  He is hitting .269 with an OBP of .315.  Career numbers: .263/.321.  Last ten games: .162/under .250.  Yet he is in the lineup everyday leading off.  No wonder the Cubs never score with a table-setter like that.  Time to go grab some pine, as Hawk would say were he on the South Side.

The outfield is the real problem on this team.  There isn't any.  Lake is a project.  I thought Schierholtz and Ruggiano would provide a placeholder tandem in RF, but clearly they have both been major disappointments.  Time to pull the plug on that.  The rest of the outfielders, including the guys on injured reserve and down in AAA, are hardly better than AA or AAA players.

The Cubs pitching, especially their starting pitching, is a significant strength.  You kind of wonder why they intend to trade away two of their best three starters, but, hey, that's the PLAN and one does not deviate from the PLAN, right?  Just pay Samardzija already.

The bullpen is a bit of a project, but it is well stocked with some interesting power arms who are in the process of development.  Certainly Strop and Rondon and Ramirez come to mind.  One thing the Cubs should consider is trying to bring along some of the better arms in AAA in a more traditional way, giving them major league experience first in the bullpen before they hit the starting rotation and wash out.  Rusin and Hendricks might benefit from this treatment, and God knows what the hell they are doing with Wada down there.

There are some modest trade chips in the Cubs bullpen now.  Villanueva and Veras are having sub-par seasons, as is Russell.  Wright is an OK left-handed specialist, but you only need a left-handed specialist when you have a chance to get that one out that puts you in position to win.  The Cubs are a good ten outs shy of that spot right now.