DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The Chicago Cubs are 21 games under .500 at 44-65, clustered at the bottom of the NL Central as of Wednesday afternoon.
While the core of players from their 2016 World Series run are gone, punctuated by last year's trade deadline, fans still want to know where the team stands.
Ian Happ and Wilson Contreras survived the 2022 trade deadline, and the Cubs face the Cincinnati Reds at 6:15 p.m. CT Thursday in the second MLB Field of Dreams Game.
So let's take a closer look at where the Chicago Cubs stand right now and where they are heading the rest of the season.
Below is a condensed interview transcript with Sam Olbur of Locked On Cubs. To watch an interview Jeff Carr and Steve Offenbaker of Locked On Reds, click here or scroll to the bottom of this story.
Local 5 News: With the Cubs, I think there was a lot of expectations that more people were going to get moved [at the trade deadline] ... Really, they just kind of dealt out of the bullpen. So they didn't necessarily ship everyone off, they didn't necessarily stand pat. In terms of the makeup of this roster, where do they stand right now? And why don't you think they went all in with trading as much as they could?
Locked On Cubs: I think it's a very complicated situation ... I think with Jed [Hoyer], I do think if you read between the lines, they wanted to trade Contreras and Happ. I do believe that especially Contreras, just nothing to do with him as a player. But just because of where his contract situation is and how far apart it seems they are on extension talks. But if you listen to what Jed Hoyer said, the market just wasn't there. And they couldn't find a deal that made sense. And they obviously weren't going to just trade them just to trade them and get back some guy that you're never going to see in the big leagues ... I don't think they went in and said, 'Hey, we're only going to trade bullpen guys,' I think the plan was to have a complete sell-off.
But you don't do that unless you feel like the trades are going to help your baseball team in the future and I don't think what happened ... So it is very awkward. It's very weird ... I knew they were going to struggle, but you're sitting here and you're saying 'Okay, well we're gonna see some guys come up.' Outside of the best bullpen arms, it's the same exact team. So it's weird.
Where's this team stand right now? I think when you look at this season in a vacuum, I think it's been frustrating because I do think they're more talented than the record shows. Wilson Contreras made an All-Star team, Ian Happ made an All-Star team, Seiya Suzuki has shown flashes of being a really good hitter in this league. Nico Hoerner has had an outstanding season, they're starting to pitch and then when you look at the record, they're 21 games under, it doesn't add up. But I think long term, you know, we're talking about probably a seven, eight-game difference, it's not going to matter. And I think, you know, where they feel right now that they're in the best position is with their farm system and the future players.
Local 5: Do you think because of the trade deadline, and the Juan Soto news coming out kind of a few days beforehand that ... everyone's attention shifted? 'Oh, you know, Ian Happ could have been the outfield bat that we wanted. Well, now I don't care about Happ anymore because even if I have a 5% chance to get Soto, I'm at least gonna give a pitch.'
Do you think that in a way kind of put the Cubs down in the pecking order in terms of who was calling and who was asking for guys?
Locked On Cubs: 100%. Not only that, I also think it just kind of messed up the market because the Padres, the two teams we heard with Contreras and Happ the most were really San Diego and the Mets. And if you remember last year, the Cubs traded Baez to the Mets for Pete Crow-Armstrong, who's now probably the top prospect in the Cubs system. And the Mets got, you know, two months of Javy Baez basically for nothing and I think the Mets were a little bit apprehensive to deal with the Cubs again, because of that. And then you have the Padres going to get Soto and then it just shrunk the market. And then I think it was a position where teams like the Rays were offering you something for Contreras that was just like, 'This isn't worth it.' Like I'd rather even get the compensatory pick than this. So to answer your question, I think the Soto news 100% you know kind of messed with the deadline and messed with the market for sure.
Local 5: Have the expectations for this team changed since the beginning of the year? I don't think you a lot of people had them pegged to win the NL Central, especially with the Cardinals and Brewers as kind of top-heavy as they are.
So have they been on track with whatever their plan is? Or have expectations changed? How do you now, post-deadline, look at this team compared to where they were maybe supposed to be at the beginning of the year?
Locked on Cubs: I think they've dramatically been below expectations, I really do. Now when I say that I'm not saying before the season, I did not think they were going to make the playoffs. I put it into like this: I thought it was more likely that they'd be a few games under .500 at this point and they would be in last place in the division for sure. Because just like I said before, you know, and to be fair to them they've had some really bad injuries with their starting rotation. You know they signed Wade Miley, he's pitched like he started like four games all year. Kyle Hendricks has been hurt, you know [Marcus] Stroman was on the IL, Smiley was on it.
You know they've had injuries and that always happens, but again to me when you look at this roster and let's say you compare it to the Pittsburgh Pirates roster, who I believe right now is half a game better than the Cubs are right around where they're at. I think that's it's crazy to me ... when you look at the roster, right? Obviously Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes are nice players but their roster, the Cubs roster, it's a totally different comparison to me. So, is it the end of the world we're talking about the difference between winning 67/68 games and 75/76? No, it's not. But like I said, looking at the season in a vacuum, I did not think that they would be in the cellar like this. I thought they would at least be a little bit more competitive regularly and I think they should be, and they've underachieved.
Local 5: As the team heads to Iowa for the Field of Dreams game, who are the players to watch? Who are you looking forward to stand out and what should Cubs fans be excited about as they head here to Iowa?
Locked On Cubs: The first thing that pops in my head is outside of Contreras, which everybody would know would be Nico Hoerner. To me he's been the best story of the year for the Cubs along with Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson who's throwing the ball well. If Justin Steele were to pitch in that game that would be really cool, but we'll see.
But yeah, for me, it's Nico Hoerner, because he's played a very solid defensive shortstop, which a lot of people including me had doubts about going into the year. His range, his arm ... he's a fantastic second baseman, but that's a big change. And he's crushed it. And offensively, he's just a really consistent hitter. You know, he's, he doesn't have that much power. He doesn't take many walks, but he hits for average. And the thing on this team that he provides that really, honestly nobody else provides is clutch hitting. You know, I can see that Field of Dreams game coming down, it's tight, late, couple guys on base. He's the guy you want at the plate. So you know, he'd be a guy to watch.
I'm interested to see how Suzuki handles an atmosphere like that, you know that it'll be interesting to see. He's been struggling recently, but he's another guy to watch and, and then you know, if Christopher Morel who's been, you know, really a nice surprise as a rookie this year, he's battling a hamstring thing. I think he'll be okay for that game. Those would be the three guys, right? Because obviously, Contreras and Happ we all know what their future's like on those teams. But those three guys, you know, are going to be contributors to the 2023 roster.
Local 5 News: How do the Cubs finish this season? What the goals? What should they be trying to approach the rest of the season doing, developing or looking at? A specific thing they need to improve?
What should they be looking to do to finish out the year?
Locked on Cubs: I think I think they just need to continue to develop the guys that are going to be contributors on this team going forward. So every Justin Steele start, it's really important to watch every Keegan Thompson start, really important to watch. Obviously, seeing what goes on in the farm system is really important. And then, like I just said, the same players I just highlighted to watch for the for the game on Thursday are the same guys I'll be watching every day. I want to see Nico Hoerner finish the season healthy and consistent. I want to see Seiya Suzuki have another hot streak. So I go into next year feeling like he can really break out, you know, from right field.
Christopher Morel, you know, continuing to adjust to big league pitching, you know, those are the guys you're watching because when you have a team that is struggling like the Cubs are, you really don't know that the roster turnover could be crazy. These are the guys I know are going to be a part of the team next year. So their development is what I look at the most. And obviously, you want to win games. I guess I'll say it again, I just don't think this team should be as bad as they are. So I like to see them win games, get on a hot streak here. They play the Nationals this week before the Field of Dreams game, and then Cincinnati, you know, string some games together and continue developing the guys that are going to be a part of your team in the future.
Sam's All-Time Cubs-Reds Starting Nine
- C: Johnny Bench (Reds)
- 1B: Joey Votto (Reds)
- 2B: Joe Morgan (Reds)
- SS: Ernie Banks (Cubs)
- 3B: Kris Bryant (Cubs)
- OF: Frank Robinson (Reds)
- OF: Sammy Sosa (Cubs)
- OF: Billy Williams (Cubs)
- DH: Pete Rose (Reds)
- SP: Fergie Jenkins (Cubs) (Honorable Mention: Tom Seaver, Reds)
- RP: Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers (Reds)
- CL: Aroldis Chapman (Reds/Cubs)