Not a June Swoon, but Troubling Play

Before we get into any commentary, here's a not so pleasant piece of nostalgia from 1969, courtesy of the Tribune.



Not that there are any serious parallels here, but the Cubs have been playing bad baseball for a couple of weeks now with a few good days tossed in.  Fortunately, the other division contenders are just about as bad and in their head-to-heads on the last home stand, the Cubs split, sweeping the Pirates and being swept by the Cardinals.  So the Cubs have managed to stay nine or ten games up throughout the stretch.

There are probably two reasons for the slump, maybe three, the most obvious being key injuries.  The offense has suffered a lot since Soler and then LaStella and finally Fowler went down.  Mixed in, they have had a few day-to-days with Rizzo and Zobrist and Montero.

Despite bringing up some promising AAA talent in the person of Contreras and Almora, the Cubs have had a hard time crafting a lineup that is likely to score runs on a consistent basis.  Which brings up the  maybe three issue.  I find it hard to understand some of these lineups even in the light of Maddon having to cope with playing guys out of position on a daily basis.

Specifically, the Cubs are going to need to recognize that Heyward needs to be dropped down in the order so that he stops killing rallies.  Sure he hits the ball hard and he has been unlucky so far, but hard ground balls are double plays and the #2 hitter frequently bats with men on base.

Another issue has to be Montero, who is having a down season hitting and behind the plate.  Watching some of the recent games makes you realize just what a weak defensive catcher Montero has become.  I kind of think the Cubs recognize this fact as well, which is why they have brought up Contreras somewhat earlier than planned.

The second real reason for the semi-swoon is the bullpen.  The Cubs starters have continued to dominate most of the time, but it has become clear the Cubs have only four reliable relievers, Wood, Cahill, Strop, and Rondon.  Everyone else is a big question mark, made even bigger by the decision to send Warren to AAA and DL Richard.  It's obvious that Conception and Patton and Edwards are not up to it right now and Grimm is currently in an extended slump.

This situation is made more complicated by Maddon's consistent use of the second string bullpen when the Cubs are behind by only a run or two and by the Cubs having limited flexibility on the bench because they are carrying thirteen pitchers.

Short term the Cubs need to fatten up against weak opponents like the Reds until they can get their regulars back before or near the All-Star Break.  Somewhat longer term, the Cubs need to add a reliable left-hander to the bullpen and get back to a normal roster of twelve relievers.  Probably the best target is Miller of the Yankees, though Chapman has been mentioned as well.

I'm not a big fan of Chapman.  He carries a lot of baggage and he is strictly a rental for whom teams are going to overpay.  Also, his presence more or less supplants any team's current closer, which is going to affect team chemistry is a bad way.  By all accounts, the Cubs are not offering any regulars, preferring to rely upon farm system depth to bargain at the trade deadline.  The Yanks are inching back into the Wild Card race, so you wonder if they will be sellers after all.

Two Tough Losses

After sweeping the Pirates over the weekend, the Cubs have lost two one-run games in a row to the Cardinals.  Both were tense, hard-fought matches that might have gone either way.  It is not as if the Cubs did not have a chance to win late in either game, but the fact is they did not come through late in the game with scoring chances and that proved to be the difference.

The Cubs are so deep in position players on the major and minor league rosters that it is easy to think that some of the key injuries they have suffered haven't affected their performance or record.  Sure, it is hard to imagine the loss of Schwarber, for example, has had much of an impact on their won and loss record simply because it is hard to imagine a team at this stage of the season having a better record.

But the more recent injuries have hurt a little more and their effect is evident in some of the more recent games against the tougher opponents, especially divisional rivals whose season is really on the line right now before the All-Star break.  Having Soler, Fowler, and LaStella on the DL has had an effect that is undeniable despite other players picking up the slack in an adequate fashion.

For example, playing Bryant in a corner outfield position is a mixed blessing.  In most cases, Baez plays third, which improves somewhat the infield defense.  However, Bryant, though a skilled athlete, is not an experienced outfielder.  He has made the basic plays and also some good plays, but on a couple of occasions he has thrown to the wrong base, at least once costing the Cubs a run.

The injuries to the aforementioned players have also left the bench pretty thin, especially as the Cubs have elected to go temporarily with thirteen pitchers.  In the last game, for example, the Cubs were forced to pinch hit Montero in a situation where normally LaStella  would have been used.  I guess my point is that it should be no surprise if the Cubs come up a little short in this stretch in games they would ordinarily win.

In terms of roster moves, the Cubs put Clayton Richard on the DL with a blister issue.  Richard has been pretty disappointing this season and one wonders if his days in Chicago are numbered.  His replacement, Geraldo Conception, looked pretty good in his major league debut Tuesday night.  The Warren move I can understand, as the Cubs need to get him right and stretched out for the run of makeup games coming up in the near future.

Can't figure the Patton move, though.  Patton has always looked good at AAA, only to disappoint at the ML level.  I may be wrong, but he seems like a guy they are only going to use if they have a five run lead or are five runs behind.  Carrying three catchers and thirteen pitchers means you have only two position players on the bench, which doesn't allow for a lot of late inning strategy.

Interesting Roster Moves

The Cubs promoted Wilson Contreras today and DFA Fedorowicz.  Fedorowisz was pretty much a stopgap measure when Montero got hurt, so this was no real surprise.  I was rather shocked he was not let go earlier, though, for some reason Maddon likes having three catchers.  Contreras looks like the real deal and the catcher of the future.  He can hit and has great defensive tools, although the word is he needs big league experience calling a game and framing pitches.  It will be interesting to see how the Cubs use him.

Thus far catching has been a bit of a weakness offensively for the team.  Montero especially is having a down year by and large.  Ross, on the other hand, is having a surprisingly good year at the plate, but I don''t think management figured he would have started about the same number of games as Montero, so that that, in itself, is a reason to bring along a younger prospect like Contreras.

It will be interesting to see who is sent down when Soler is ready to return.  I had originally thought that Amora was a bit over-matched, but so far he has been hitting well and in clutch situations, though, of course, the league has yet to figure him out.  The team did bring back Coghlan, but he could be expendable in the long run, so maybe he will prove to be the odd man out again.

Exciting Series

The Cubs lost two of three to the Nats, but they were all tough games that might have gone either way, especially the last one.  Almost a playoff atmosphere between the teams if not the fans.  For some reason, everybody got up and left around 6 o'clock their time.  Dinner reservations?

All three of the Cubs starters pitched well.  The Cubs bullpen is starting to show a few chicks in its armor, although it has not been overly used at all, given the starters have usually lasted into the seventh or later.  Maddon usually relies on Strop and Rondon in games that are tied or close.  Each of them gave up a run today, though they had pitched the previous night.

Other than Wood, you would have to say the remainder can be an iffy proposition, especially Grimm.  In my estimation, Grimm is a guy who puts up good looking numbers, but rarely delivers when it counts.  Warren, Cahill, and Richards are converted starts who tend to be a little hit and miss in short relief.  The Cubs will want to add a good lefty before the season is out.

The next homestand should be wild with the Pirates and Cards coming tontown.

Chris Coghlan

The Cubs traded Alcantara to Oakland for Coghlan.  I was a little surprised they dumped Coghlan this spring, but they did it to make room for Fowler.  Coghlan has not exactly been lighting it up in Oakland, but he has always played well in Chicago and last year he was pretty much a regular.  Alcantara showed a lot of promise.  He has speed and some power and is a good defender, but he just has not become a selective hitter so he strikes out too much and never gets on base.  Maybe a change of scene will help.

It will be interesting to see how they handle the roster spot.  They could just ship Almora back to Iowa or they could DFA Fedorowicz, who seems like an unnecessary luxury.  Either way one of these guys goes when Soler comes off the DL.

Oh, oh, it appears Tommy LaStella is out with a hamstring issue, so that seems to answer the roster spot question.  Losing LaStella as well as Soler is a significant problem for the Cubs, though the addition of Coghlan should ease matters temporarily.  Kind of wonder why the Cubs did not bring up Murton, as he has a similar skill set to Coghlan, though he is less versatile and, as I remember, not an especially impressive defender.

Another Series Win, Ho-Hum

The Cubs continued to dominate the Eastern Division teams, taking two of three from the Phillies who are, despite a somewhat promising start to their season, a really lousy team.  They might have won the middle game of the series but for some sloppy play that cost them runs in a close game.

I was sorry to see Soler go down with a hamstring injury.  I really like Soler and I think he will eventually become a major offensive force and a tolerable defensive player.  He was just starting to come around.  It was a little surprising to see the Cubs call up Almora, but they are playing so well they can afford to do so without much risk and they must think Soler will not be headed for a long stint on the DL.  Almora can easily be optioned back to AAA without disturbing his development.  So far Almora has looked as good as advertised in the field, but completely over-matched at the plate.  His hit late in Wednesday game probably should have been played by the Phils pitcher although it was hit hard.

Right now the Cubs look so strong and so deep both at the major and minor league levels that I rather doubt they will be making much of a splash at the trade deadline.  The only real weakness that is evident is the developing need for another left-handed reliever.  Clayton Richard has been the forgotten man in a bullpen that has not been much overworked in any case because of the strong starts they are getting, but he has been pretty awful even when he enters the game with no pressure and a big lead.  There will be some decent left-handers on the market as the season wears on and the Cubs are likely to be able to grab one without giving up too much talent.

The Cubs move on to Atlanta for three games beginning Friday night.  The Braves are even worse than the Phillies, so one would expect a series sweep.

Quite a Homestand

The Cubs were 8 and 2 on the homestand,recovering quite nicely from their previous slump.  Ironically, the only two losses occurred when Arrieta pitched.  Not that he pitched poorly.  Quite the contrary.  He had seven shutout innings in the first start, only to have the bullpen second string completely implode.  On Sunday, he struck out twelve Diamondbacks in five innings.  To my mind though he was not sharp. Arizona ran up his pitch count with all the deep counts.  He was also pretty shaky in his final inning and was fortunate to escape that inning without more runs.

Still, these guys are playing great baseball now.  They are off on a pretty soft roadtrip through Philadelphia and Atlanta before they finish off against a contender in Washington.

Retro Ball

Am I the only one to note that the Dodgers series is being played like a rerun of sixties baseball, nothing but pitchers' duels, low scoring games decided by luck or a home run?  It certainly seems that way, and I am not offering the observation in any sense as a criticism.  These have been wonderfully entertaining and tense games for hard core fans to enjoy.

Wednesday's game was no exception.  But for a mistake on the second pitch to LA's leadoff hitter, Lester was in complete control.  He finished off a complete game four-hitter.  The only offense the Cubs provided was a third inning two run homer by Kris Bryant.