Chicago Cubs: They wanted Chili, but are now changing their order

Chicago Cubs: One-and-done for Davis

So, why did Epstein not warrant Davis a second year to see if the work he put in during his inaugural season paid off? Apparently, because of what he heard from the players themselves in their end-of-year exit interviews.

Almost unanimously, Cubs players performed worse than in 2017. The only exceptions to that rule? Ben Zobrist, who put up some of the best numbers of his career at age 37 and Javier Baez, who took a National League MVP race down to the wire in a breakout campaign in which he set career-highs in virtually every offensive category.

But is Davis the reason for these other regressions?

Chicago Cubs: Is Chili to blame for all these struggles?

Willson Contreras set a new career-high in games caught (and played) – and looked gassed by the All-Star Break. His offense followed the same trajectory as the rest of the team, hitting just .200 with a .294 slugging percentage in the second half.

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Kris Bryant burst out of the gates at a torrid rate before he was hit in the face by a pitch and later tweaked a shoulder – an injury that lingered the rest of the year. As Sahadev Sharma pointed out on Thursday, the slugger batted .311/.422/.595 in the first 38 games of the season – MVP-caliber numbers.

After injuring his shoulder trying to beat out a ball, his numbers plummeted (.249/.339/.378). Late in the season, even after he returned, he clearly wasn’t the same guy. Pitchers were pumping low-90s heat past him like it was 98 or 99. Regardless of the official story, Bryant wasn’t himself.

Anthony Rizzo proved to be the antithesis of the offense. Instead of starting hot and going cold, he did the opposite, starting out with one of the worst offensive stretches of his career before catching fire and, once again, eclipsing 100 RBI on the final day of the season. But, all told, the team’s bats faded – no, that’s not the word. They completely vanished down the stretch, as they watched Milwaukee overcome them for the NL Central crown.

Chicago Cubs: It’s time to take the training wheels off this club

Last season, Chili Davis held the same role with the Boston Red Sox – and was fired after the team’s offense went off the deep end following a dominant 2016 campaign. In 2017, their numbers plummeted across-the-board – most notably, their power numbers – the same that fell off the proverbial cliff in Chicago last year, as well.

Early this year, Red Sox owner John Henry made it pretty clear who he blamed for his team’s struggles in 2017.

“We’ve made a lot of changes other than just the managers … I think our approach last year was lacking offensively and we had issues that the players have already talked about. I don’t really need to talk about it, but I agree with what’s been said. But I don’t agree that we haven’t really made much in the way of changes. I think these were significant changes.”

This year, Boston set a franchise record, winning 108 games – and now stand just four wins shy of returning to the World Series, thanks to an offense that’s simply pounded opponents into submission.

Are the Cubs hoping a similar change produces the same results in 2019? Sure seems that way.