Chicago Cubs: If this is it, it’s been a heck of a ride for Ben Zobrist

Chicago Cubs: Not the ending we’d all been hoping for

Add to that the fact that this season is ending with a giant thud. The Cubs will miss the playoffs for the first time in Zobrist’s Cubs career and for the first time in the last half-decade. Zobrist’s tenure with the Cubs could have ended on a high note had he been able to help the Cubs get into the playoffs upon his return.

Instead, his triumphant arrival was buried under a long list of storylines as to why this Cubs season turned south. We certainly can’t blame Zobrist’s absence for the club’s lackluster performance this year, as there were plenty of bigger flaws with this roster that led to that.

However, there’s no question that his presence was missed. At the same time, the fact that Zobrist took off so much time to address family issues says a lot about him as a person (and I mean that in a good way). We certainly can’t blame him for taking the time off that he did. Will Zobrist’s personal matters impact his decision on whether he will play baseball in 2020? That remains to be seen, though it isn’t necessarily our business.

We don’t know how much on-field performance will impact Zobrist’s decision, either. He didn’t hit well before he left the team early in the season. However, he quietly has been more than solid since coming back from his leave, posting a .295/.377/.410 line.