There’s something rotten in the city of Chicago. Not only are the White Sox the worst team in baseball, but rumor has it there’s a lot of friction in the Cubs organization. The Cubs are rumored to be fractured in the front office but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer will return in 2025, per USA Today Sports.
Chicago is having a disappointing season, but not nearly as bad as the AL team on the South Side. The Cubs are 72-70 on the year, and have done well in recent weeks. Chicago has won six of their last 10 contests. The Cubbies are also tied for second in the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals. The teams are 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division.
Why it hasn’t worked out well for the Cubs this season
There are several MLB franchises that would love to be above .500 in the final month of the season, but Cubs fans do expect their team to compete each and every year for an NL pennant. The Cubs at one point this season were in dead last in the NL Central, but strong play in August has helped lift the team from the cellar.
The Cubs made a controversial trade at the MLB trade deadline in July, with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cubbies sent Christopher Morel, Ty Johnson and Hunter Bigge to Florida. In return, Chicago received infielder Isaac Paredes. That move is getting a bad grade by many analysts around the baseball world, as Paredes has put up a .170/.293/.286 slashing line with the Cubs. He has three homers with the team as well as 14 RBIs.
“[The deal was the Cubs] trying to capitalize on [the Rays’] rebuilding frame of mind by getting what it hoped would be a long-term solution at what has been a problematic spot at third base for half a decade at this point,” said Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, per Sports Illustrated. “Unfortunately for [Chicago], nothing has changed yet.”
Cubs may have a bright star for the future
While the Cubs may be having some issues in the front office, the future may be very bright. The team seems to have found a promising young talent in infielder Matt Shaw. Shaw was the team’s no. 13 overall MLB Draft pick in 2023. In the minors this season, the third baseman has hit 18 home runs and posted 61 RBIs.
“Chicago has five high-ceiling prospects knocking on the door for their first MLB promotion, with catcher Moises Ballesteros, infielders Shaw and James Triantos, and outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara all currently suiting up for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs,” said Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, per Sports Illustrated. “The fast-rising Shaw might be the first from that group to reach the majors, despite the fact that he was taken No. 13 overall in the 2023 draft and has just 144 minor league games under his belt.”
Chicago is in action against the New York Yankees at time of writing.
