It feels like something is happening over at Wrigley Field. I’m not going to saddle the Cubs front office with championship expectations just yet, but you can smell the burning embers of increased competition.
My Spidey-sense is tingling.
It’s good to see Cubs President Jed Hoyer react to a slew of one-run losses with action. He hasn’t just brushed off winnable games as required growing pains. For the first time in years, the Cubs went looking for answers inside their own organization. I see that as a really good sign of progress.
Let me explain …
It would be easy for the Cubs front office to look at 2023 as a season that is only about development and not competition. I even think that Cubs fans who are optimistic about the future might even understand the approach. In the offseason, the Cubs made sensible moves that have incrementally made the team better. Most people would describe the offseason as solid if not spectacular. The idea being that if the Cubs put in a respectable floor they can add players next offseason that can push for a ceiling.
Every front office has a plan and a timeline. You only really need to look at the recent contract extensions to figure out what the Cubs’ timeline is. Ideally, with Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson signed through the 2026 season, it’s a pretty good indicator of the winning window.
I’m all for a good plan, but circumstances can sometimes change the best laid plans. And I think we’re starting to see that now in the National League Central. Pittsburgh is regressing to their normal mean after a scorching hot start. Cincinnati is slowly moving in the right direction, but they’re very far away from being a threat. And then there’s the Cardinals.
For decades, the Cardinals have been the envy of the National League. Even in years when they weren’t spectacular, they were consistent. Consistency can win you divisions. That hasn’t been the case so far this season. With the exit of Yadi Molina and an aging rotation, St. Louis looks erratic. Through almost a quarter of a season, they have been uncharacteristically panicky. And the Cubs can take advantage of that.
It must be incredibly satisfying for Cubs fans to look up to see the “Birds on the Bat” having a complete meltdown organizationally. That’s not usually how it works, but grab your popcorn because I think it might get worse before it gets better.
Which leaves the Brewers. Milwaukee is starting to get healthy. With the talent in their pitching staff, it’s cause for concern, but not so much as Cubs fans wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
As it stands right now, the Cubs are in position to compete to win the division. I think they see it too. The call-ups of Matt Mervis and Christopher Morel were affirmative statements on how the team looked after a month of baseball.
You can see that they’re going to be a strong run-prevention team. If you want to geek out on something, watch how well Happ, Cody Bellinger and Suzuki are playing the outfield together. Their individual speed and collective communication has allowed them to turn doubles into singles. It may be a small thing, but winning in the margins is where the Cubs are at right now.
When Mervis was called up, there was a palpable excitement over the weekend. So far he’s delivered. His bat plays at the major league level and provides some much needed offensive punch. Both he and Morel had perfected Triple-A hitting and should have been rewarded, but it doesn’t feel like that was the only motive.
Hoyer said upon Mervis’ call up: “The goal here is to impact winning.”
This isn’t service time manipulation. This isn’t wait til next year. I don’t know if the Cubs have all they need to compete, but they are arming themselves like a squad that is trying to take advantage of market inefficiency. The Cardinals might not be down for long. Take advantage while you can.
You can hear Laurence W. Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.
