Patrick Wisdom's Chicago Cubs tenure highlights importance of perseverance

First making an appearance with the Chicago Cubs during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Patrick Wisdom had become a staple on the Major League roster. Along with Frank Schwindel, Wisdom quickly became a fan favorite following the 2021 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline that saw the Cubs deal away Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez.

Wisdom's power kept him on the Cubs' roster until the end of the 2024 season but entering this offseason, the writing was on the wall that his time with the team may be coming to an end. Wisdom's departure was all but confirmed on Wednesday when he was designated for assignment following the Cubs' trade for Eli Morgan.

This does not come as any surprise as the 33-year-old slugger struggled last year, hitting just .171/.237/.392 with eight homers and a 75 wRC+. He was used in a more limited role as a pinch hitter and would only find his way into the starting lineup when the Cubs were facing a left-handed starting pitcher.

Wisdom's MLB journey was an interesting one, and he made his usefulness last a bit longer than many may have anticipated. After being a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2012, he bounced around a bit and had only racked up 43 career MLB games by his age 28/29 season. It was in 2021 when the Cubs brought him up around the core dismantling when he broke out with 28 homers, a .518 slug, .823 OPS, and 117 wRC+ in 106 games. Within all that was a very high 41% strikeout rate, and he hit just .191 over the last two months, indications of a classic "flash in the pan" stretch from a "4A" journeyman a la Bryan LaHair or his teammate that year, Frank Schwindel.

To Wisdom's credit, he followed 2021 with a 25 homer, .725 OPS, and 106 wRC+ season in 2022 and a 23 homer, .789 OPS, and 111 wRC+ season in 2023. For a guy who looked like a quick flash in the pan, sustaining 20+ home run production and a 106+ wRC or better season for three straight years at least deserves some acknowledgment. From 2021-2023, he totaled 76 homers and .772 OPS in 337 games. Some of those homers were absolute titanic Dave Kingman-like blasts, too.

Is he an ideal everyday player? No. He was a guy you play during a transition phase, which they were in during the 2021-2022 season, but the Cubs need to be WAY beyond that now. His use on the Cubs roster had run out. Sure, it's nice to have power on the bench, but it seemed like last year when Wisdom would pinch-hit late, he would just miss hitting a game-tying or go-ahead bomb. While Wisdom brings the thump, he's never going to hit for average or get on base at a high clip, he's a career .209/.291/.459 hitter with 540 strikeouts in (37% strikeout rate). The definition of an all-or-nothing hitter.

Time to move on? Yes. Flawed player? Yes. At least give him his dues for sustaining good power production for being a "late bloomer" in the Majors. He also seemed like a great clubhouse guy who was well-liked and respected.