Cubs continue to sink toward trade deadline sale: ‘Not close to where we want to be’

MILWAUKEE — Believing in the Chicago Cubs right now requires a certain detachment from reality. Winning one game is such an ordeal for this club that it’s hard to imagine a long hot streak. After 85 games, it’s not early anymore. Their 39-46 record currently ranks them 13th out of 15 National League teams. As pitcher Justin Steele might scream, “Wake the f— up!”

A weekend that began with Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledging the possibility of opting out at the July 30 trade deadline ended with Sunday’s quiet 7-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in front of a sellout crowd at American FamilyField. In the second-level seats behind home plate, a man in Brewers gear cradled a toddler in one hand and used his other hand to hold up a WANTED poster plastered with Craig Counsell’s face and a subtitle.

$40 MILLION STOLEN

CAN BE FOUND AT THE LAST PLACE

Counsell, the ex-Brewers manager who still lives in Wisconsin, will always be the center of attention here. But this next phase of the rivalry seems far less about Counsell and more about how strong the Brewers are as an organization, and how far the Cubs have to go to catch up.

Exactly three years ago in that same stadium was the moment Hoyer privately admitted the Cubs had reached the point of no return with a fading core group that included Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez. On June 30, 2021, the Cubs had given Jake Arrieta a seven-run lead before he threw his first pitch—and the Brewers still roared back for a 15-7 victory. It was the sixth loss in what had become an 11-game losing streak. The sellout would begin.

At the 2021 trade deadline, Hoyer traded some of the most popular players in franchise history, plus an extremely valuable player in All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. He expected the sweeping moves to revitalize the farm system and free up more money to acquire the right free agents.

Still, the Cubs now trail the Brewers by 11 1/2 games in the division, a staggering deficit considering Counsell has switched sides, Milwaukee waived Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff will not pitch this season as he recovers from shoulder surgery. And that’s not to mention the NL Central’s only major franchise enjoys a huge financial advantage over its competitors.

Should the Cubs act in July to ensure Hoyer doesn’t sell at the trade deadline?

“Yeah,” Counsell said. “I think we should perform in July. Take the second part away.”

Every year is different, but in the past Hoyer has laid out the general criteria for some of these buying or selling decisions. There’s an eye test of how the team plays that summer, who is healthy or not, and the salary implications of each move. It’s also how close a team is to .500, or how far away from a playoff spot.

“I’ve never heard of that,” Counsell said. “I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘This is the song.’ We have to perform today. I don’t think that’s ever going to change.

“There’s been no statements made. There’s still going to be a game the next day, no matter how it happens, no matter what story (the media) writes about the trade deadline.”

The Cubs are “only” five games out of the third wild-card spot. But this is also a team that has won back-to-back games just once in May and twice in June. It’s no wonder that Steele’s outburst was absent during Saturday’s win.

Sunday’s promising start failed after Nico Hoerner hit Freddy Peralta’s second pitch of the game to left field for a home run. Cody Bellinger, the No. 3 hitter, also hit a soft single in the first inning. And then the Cubs went 0-for-26 the rest of the afternoon, continuing an offensive slump that has lasted months.

Freddy Peralta’s 7th and 8th K. pic.twitter.com/I7dcJSgV6j

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 30, 2024

With Peralta in a groove, the Cubs needed a strong performance from Kyle Hendricks, who only regained his job in the rotation after multiple injuries to other pitchers. Hendricks slid through Milwaukee’s lineup the first time and then watched Christian Yelich hit a monstrous two-run home run to the batter’s eye in center field. The fourth inning went sideways when Ian Happ lost a flyball near the left field wall.

“Not my best moment there,” said Happ, a two-time Gold Glove winner.

“Listen, Happer is one of the best around,” Hendricks said. “That was an instant home run, I thought. That was another bad pitch that I shouldn’t have gotten away with. I’m lucky it stayed in the stadium. That’s my fault. I have to keep going.”

Hendricks is at a stage in his career where he has almost no room for error; letting him get four outs against a good lineup is not a formula for success. The Brewers kept the rally going. Instead of making it a 3-1 game, Hendricks gave up a two-out grand slam to Brice Turang.

Hendricks said, “The sense of urgency was there” and “it’s still there.” But the team’s performance has been so inconsistent that it’s sometimes hard to tell. Plus, it feels a little out of place to question the character of the team or the chemistry in the clubhouse.

How do the Brewers continue to repair their bullpen with castoffs? When was the last time the Cubs traded for a player as dynamic as William Contreras? Why does Yelich have a bigger contract than any Cub in franchise history?

Many questions will arise as the Cubs try to figure out what went wrong.

“It’s a frustrating place for the group,” Happ said. “We’re clearly not close to where we want to be.”

(Photo by Dansby Swanson: Benny Sieu/USA Today)