The Chicago Cubs have flown up the National League rankings, finding themselves in the midst of a division race with under 50 games to go.
The Chicago Cubs have completely turned their season around through the middle of the year. At one point, it seemed as though the Cubs were going to be big-time sellers at the deadline, likely moving Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger for prospects.
But the team caught fire. Not only that, but the NL Central has been rather weak this year and that's opened the door for Chicago to put themselves in a playoff race. But only one team can win the World Series and only so many teams can make the playoffs. If Chicago fails to do so, some players could end up taking a big portion of the blame.
Marcus Stroman may not be re-signed if he doesn't finish the year on a high note
So far this season, the Cubs haven't shied away from the fact that they've avoided extending Marcus Stroman during the season. This seems like a good decision in hindsight, as Stroman's value has dropped quite a bit since the rumors began that he was looking for an extension.
Over his last three starts, opponents have slashed .407/.484/.648 off of Stroman and his decline this year hasn't helped the Cubs much.
In the month of July, Stroman surrendered more earned runs than innings pitched while allowing over four runs in all but one start. Chicago finds themselves 2-5 in his last seven starts with Stroman being handed four of those losses.
As he looks to near a return from the injured list, he'll have two paths that he could end up down. The first path ends with him returning to form, helping Chicago reach the playoffs and re-signing in the offseason. The other path consists of his poor play continuing and forcing the Cubs out of the postseason.
If his poor play directly translates to the Cubs missing the postseason, it is almost a certainty that his time in Chicago is up. To say that Stroman will be on thin ice for the rest of the season would be putting it a bit too lightly.
Patrick Wisdom could be on thin ice if the Cubs don't make a playoff run in 2023
A few seasons ago, Patrick Wisdom seemed to explode on the scene as a big-time bat in the middle of the Cubs lineup. He finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year race in 2021 and seemed like a future 40-home run bat in the big leagues. The sole issue in his game was his ability to hit the ball consistently and reach base at an average clip.
Years later, this problem still haunts the third baseman.
And he's running out of time to prove himself as a worthy bat in the Cubs lineup. Going into the year, he seemed like the kind of player that Chicago would lean on, but now he usually finds himself batting in the bottom half of the order.
It's not fair to ever blame an entire season on any one player. If the Cubs fail to reach the postseason, it'll be on the team and coaching staff as a whole. But Wisdom could take a good portion of the blame considering his slash line of .197/.290/.500.
Now, the 31-year-old is under team control for the next few seasons, but that doesn't mean he would be safe in Chicago if his struggles continue, and he drags the team down with him. If Wisdom doesn't turn his play around soon, he could find himself on the hot seat. The seat would get even hotter if it helps cause Chicago to miss the postseason.
Daniel Palencia may not be ready to play a role in a major league playoff push
In the latest update of MLB Pipeline's top prospect rankings, Daniel Palencia comes in as the Cubs' 15th ranked prospect. The 23-year-old righty finds himself as one of the better pitching prospects in the Cubs system, but the results haven't quite shown his true potential just yet.
To say that Palencia has struggled a little this season would be an understatement. He began the season with the Cubs Double-A team as a starter. After five starts, he had thrown 15.1 innings, walked nine batters and surrendered 10 runs.
Palencia was then called up to Triple-A, but his role was changed. He was moved to the bullpen and the results weren't any better. The former international signee would throw 13.2 innings and allow 12 earned runs before he was given the promotion to the big leagues.
In his big-league time, the results have been much of the same, where he's seen the same control problems that have plagued him in the past. In the month of August, Palencia has thrown 2.1 innings and surrendered five earned runs. This kind of production likely isn't indicative of his entire career, as he still has the potential to figure things out, but the Cubs can't have a reliever like this in their bullpen to make a playoff push.
He's definitely on thin ice for the rest of the year.
