Chicago Cubs weekly review: All-Star edition

1 of 4

Normally in the weekly review we take a look back at the past week’s games. Highlighting the good and bad of the week. We’re going to change it up this week and take a look at the first half of the season. While the Cubs sit in last place in the NL Central, there are some things to be excited about.

Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel traded to the A’s – While most of us, I think, saw this coming in some fashion, I don’t think there were many who saw it being a package deal to one team. Hammel fell into the category of a surprise, similar to the fashion of Paul Maholm and Scott Feldman. The Cubs are already reaping the reward of the Feldman trade in Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop.

The Maholm trade saw the Cubs acquire Arodys Vizcaino, who has been solid as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery. It was a calculated risk at the time, but so far looks like it could pay off.

The Cubs this time acquired one of the A’s high-ranking prospects in Addison Russell, outfielder Billy McKinney and pitcher Dan Straily. Some have questioned the pickup of Russell, as he is a shortstop being brought into a system rich with middle-infield prospects. But the best players out of high school tend to play that position, and have the flexibility to adjust to a position switch. Where a player is in Single-A isn’t always the last position he’ll play.

Straily gets the start in Iowa, but may follow a similar blueprint to what Arrieta did upon his arrival – a short stint in Triple-A before a call-up to the big league roster.

The comeback seasons of Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro – The Cubs front office decided instead of waiting, they would begin the task of identifying the teams “core” players, and lock them up early on. 14 combined contract years and $101 million were committed to the two, and it looked like money down the drain in 2013. Both struggled. Castro looked lost and uninterested. Rizzo showed power, but struggled with runners in scoring position and against left-handers.

Now in the 2014 All-Star game in Minnesota, both will be participants. Castro has for whatever reason abandoned the “patience” the Cubs prior staff was trying to instill, using his aggressiveness at the plate to his advantage. Not every player will be a walk machine. Castro is a see it and rip it hitter, and that’s proving to be the right approach for him at the plate.

Rizzo, on the other hand, has become more selective, taking his walks while greatly improving his numbers with RISP and versus lefties. He’s actually hitting left-handers better this year than he is righties. He’s fourth in the league in walks, while sitting in third in home runs. He’s also learned to identify what opposing pitchers try to do to subdue him, and has learned to drive inside pitches into the seats early in the count.

It’s easy to understand why most of us freaked out last year, but the duo has gained back the trust and faith of the fans in 2014.

Jake Arrieta slowly becoming staff ace – Arrieta didn’t ask to be the ace. But he’s never had an issue with being one. After the trade of Samardzija and Hammel, in the month of June, Arrieta had a 4-0 record, 0.92 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings, and he suddenly had assumed that role. Add to that six innings of perfect baseball followed by 7 2/3 no-hit baseball in the following contest and the title was his.

Arrieta has always had the talent, but had yet to put it together at the big league level. Control and consistency being the issue, as is often the case for pitchers. Now Arrieta has the confidence, and quite frankly the reputation as a top of the rotation pitcher.

A month really isn’t enough to chalk him up as a star, but another season like this and he’ll be commanding the type of contract Samardzija was, and the Cubs would be silly not to offer it.

The arrival of the future, just not who we thought (Arismendy Alcantara) – Show of hands, who thought this would be the first breakout star of the prospects the Cubs have been stockpiling? Nobody? Exactly. There’s no doubt that Alcantara’s numbers were worthy of a call-up. But it was that perfect storm that got him here. Darwin Barney has paternity leave, Cubs need a body to temporarily fill-in, Alcantara is the guy. Now he’s no Lou Gerhig, but Barney may be Wally Pipp.

The time for the future to begin in Chicago is now

In what was supposed to be a two-day promotion, Alcantara pretty much forced the issue with his performance to keep him up. Manager Rick Renteria had been pitcher-heavy most of the season, carrying a short bench. With the All-Star Break, the Cubs opted to keep him up, sending down two pitchers instead. Now, entering the second half, the Cubs will start their three remaining starters following the trade in the second half. This will postpone the decision on Alcantara likely till after the Cardinals series.

With a line of .391/.400/.739, an OPS of 1.139, six runs scored and five RBIs, the young man is going to make the Cubs brass think long and hard about keeping him up. I’ve been vocal as a fan of Barney. Great player, good teammate, hasn’t complained about his role change. But I’m ready to change stance. Alcantara looks solid in the field, clearly is more of an offensive threat, and when Emilio Bonifacio returns, he and Alcantara give a lot more options defensively.

The time for the future to begin in Chicago is now.

So those are some of the positives. There are more, of course. Chris Coghlan and Justin Ruggiano as of late have started to hit the ball well. These were low risk-high reward pick-ups that can only help the Cubs either on the team or as trade chips. The bullpen has been a pleasant surprise after a rocky start. But I can be overly optimistic, as I am a lifelong Cubs fan. It’s what I have to do to keep my sanity.

But now we have to admit there are some flaws. Okay, more than some. But like I said, I try to be optimistic.

Edwin Jackson is just…ugh. – Last year I wrote an ever optimistic piece on the Cubs staff for this year. Once the season got rolling I didn’t appear as crazy as I seemed then. No, they weren’t the best. But they were better than most thought. But Jackson. I just have no words.

The Cubs will be doling out $11 million to E-Jax this season, and the next two after this. I defended him as an “innings eater”. I don’t even know what that means. But he isn’t doing it. He’s losing games at a torrid pace, taxing the bullpen by failing to pitch deep into games, and basically frustrates me with a four or five-run inning each start.

But never do I hear a word mentioned about doing anything different. The Cubs made a huge mistake with Jose Veras. They realized it and fixed it. E-Jax was that mistake before the Veras mistake. I don’t know what the Cubs can or should do. I feel like a move to the pen would be the least they should consider.

Unfortunately now with two starters shipped out and the future of the last two rotation spots up in the air, I’m going to be stuck watching him go out every fifth day and lose a game. I mean, the Cubs aren’t winning many, but a 5.64 ERA and 10 losses at the break is actually worse than last year.

Please Cubs, do something. Anything, I beg of you.

Cubs’ outfield struggling to produce – After trading Alfonso Soriano last year, the Cubs were going to be looking at some new options in the outfield. Nate Schierholtz was a given with his breakout season in 2013. Junior Lake impressed late in the year and figured to be in. Then you had names like Chris Coghlan (Started in Triple-A), Ryan Kalish (now in Triple-A), Ryan Sweeney and Justin Ruggiano.

As I mentioned, as of late Ruggiano and Coghlan have started to give the Cubs some good production. But Schierholtz looks nothing like the hitter he was last year. And Lake has broken more bats over his knee in the last few weeks than he has hits. I’m exaggerating, of course, but it’s close.

Former highly touted prospect Brett Jackson never developed into what the Cubs hoped. Kris Bryant may end up an option at some point, as his final defensive positioning is up in the air. Alcantara can play some outfield, and has the jump with his current audition.

Renteria continues to shuffle the lineup, so hopefully he’ll find a combination that works. But for the Cubs to improve in the second half, the three in the outfield have to have a stronger presence at the plate.

What to do with Mike Olt? – I still like Mike Olt. I think his upside is higher than most think. His defense has been solid, which was a question coming in with the strength of his arm. But the man does two things, and two only. Crushes home runs, or swings and misses. I’m not sure I’ve seen much else from him.

And it’s gotten harder to watch. Swinging at terrible pitches. His overall plate recognition is horrendous. But when he hits it, he hits it. He is our Mighty Casey at the bat. The younger ones may need to Google that. If Olt can somehow cut down on his strikeouts, and just up his ball in play percentage his value would be doubled. But a sub .150 at the plate isn’t going to help.

I believe he needs consistent at-bats to solve his issue, which now is just as much a confidence issue as a physical performance issue. But the season of Kris Bryant, now at Iowa, clouds that. Olt could see time at first, but the logistics of where he plays, to get at-bats, that right now is the question. I think the Cubs are unsure, which is why he still sits on the Cubs roster.

I’m pulling for Olt, but only for so long. That’s due to my newly installed “Barney” rule.

This has only covered some of the first-half in Chicago. There has been so much more, but I just wanted to hit some of the keys that I as a Cubs fan picked up on. Have some others? Make sure to comment. The Cubs, if they do nothing else, give us plenty to talk about.

Home / Chicago Cubs News