Three Chicago Cubs who will be hurt most by shortened schedule

With proposals on the table for a possible half-season of MLB play, it stands to reason that some Cubs will stand to gain from a shortened season. Then again, there will be those at a disadvantage as well.

We are living in unprecedented times in America during this lockdown due to Covid-19. Just as everyday life has been affected and changed drastically, so too has the sports world. In that same vein, there are aspects of life that have become better and more prominent due to the coronavirus- namely the ability to spend time with family, eat less fast food, and get more done around the house. While there are undoubtedly myriad drawbacks, some are making the most of the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc with life as we know it.

With the possibility that a baseball season could be played in 2020, there are sure to be winners and losers amongst baseball players- specifically the Chicago Cubs. Granted, it seems a bit trite and insensitive to say that we all aren’t losers amid this pandemic. Still, from a baseball standpoint, different players, coaches, and teams will be affected in different ways if MLB decides to play. Some players will play better without fans, with a strange schedule, and playing a more regionally-based schedule.

Of course, there’s always the inverse. Some players will also invariably perform at a level not indicative of their talent or track record. Some veterans might be a bit rusty because of the layoff and weird restart. Guys like Jon Lester or Yu Darvish aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore, and they haven’t exactly been models of consistency or health the past couple seasons. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the three Cubs who will be most affected by a shortened season (if we end up playing at all, that is).

Chicago Cubs: Lester may be most affected by this- good or bad.

Jon Lester has already cemented his place in Cubs history since coming to the Cubs as one of the most significant free-agent signings in Chicago sports history. His performance, tenacity, character, and work ethic have been worth every penny of the six year/$155 million contract he signed with the club before the 2015 season.

That being said, last year was not a good year for the big lefty. Despite a 13-10 record, Lester put up his worst ERA (4.46) since 2012, and it was the second time in three years that he’s put up an ERA over 4.00. His velocity has been dropping (2 mph in the last four seasons, per statcast), his consistency has been lacking, and you just don’t know what kind of Lester you’re going to get when he walks out to the mound.

In short, he’s declining. He’s getting old. As many have said before, Mother Nature is unbeaten against all-comers. With an abruptly-halted spring training, a layoff, and a restart, it’s a good bet that 36-year-old pitchers will not be the guys most sports fans will be betting on should a baseball season start.

Sure, Lester could very well prosper with fewer innings throughout the season. Still, his notoriously inconsistent ways the past couple years, his declining velocity, and his penchant for pitching out of jams don’t bode well for success in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Chatwood is in the final year of his three-year deal

Tyler Chatwood’s two years in Chicago could be summed up in several different ways, ranging from a dumpster fire to something right around mediocre. The hard-throwing right-hander had a rough 2018 as a starter, struggling to find the plate and stay healthy, making only 20 starts after being signed to a questionable three-year contract before that season.

Without a place to put him or trust him, Joe Maddon used Chatwood out of the pen in 2019, where he was generally pretty good. He even had a few spot starts, including some memorably successful ones.

That being said, Chatwood is now in “put up or shut up” mode, and as a 30-year-old pitcher, Chatwood needs to do as much as possible to show that he has righted the ship and can be a capable major league starter.

As the presumed fifth starter during the offseason and spring training, Chatwood would have had a full season to show his wares and prove his worth to every MLB club before becoming a free agent at the end of the season. With a partial season, if Chatwood doesn’t pitch at an elite level, questions and doubts will persist about whether he can be bona fide MLB starter.

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In financial words, this shortened season could be costing Chatwood millions. More than likely, regardless of how he pitches in a shortened season, teams will view Chatwood as a long man or possible fifth starter, but his chances of getting over $10 million a year are probably slim in a long term deal. A full season could have provided the right-hander with ample opportunity to prove himself over the course of a season, but alas, that’s not going to happen.

In addition, with the MiLB season in the balance as well, the Cubs could elect to bring up some of their minor league phenoms with an expanded roster, putting more pressure on Chatwood and taking innings away.

Guys like Adbert Alzolay, Brailyn Marquez, or even someone like Justin Steele could usurp innings if given a chance by new manager Ross.

Chicago Cubs: How will this guy respond to a shortened schedule?

Speaking of the beloved new leader of the Chicago Cubs, how will David Ross fare in his first season as manager? While every manager will be scrutinized and challenged in new ways because of the circumstances of the pandemic and trying to play through this under many different circumstances and maybe even rules, how will a rookie manager react to his team, the media, and in general with everything that’s going on currently?

David Ross strikes me as a man with a plan, and a man who can adjust on the fly. That being said, these are unprecedented times. The roster may look bizarre at times, the opponents may seem strange, and the feeling will undoubtedly be very odd if the Cubs play at Wrigley (or anywhere else for that matter) without fans.  Not having any experience as a manager or even as a coach, how will this affect Ross and will it affect him differently than other managers around the league?

Will his thoughts on a more standard lineup be tested because of more inter-divisional and regional games? Will he be able to navigate a pitching staff that may have to be babied a lot more than normal because of the strange restart everyone has had to endure?

These are all legitimate questions for a guy most Cubs fans adore. With his lack of experience, it will be difficult, no matter what. Still, Ross will undoubtedly have some of the more considerable challenges amongst Cubs because he’ll be the general in the dugout now.

With all of the possibilities and questions still up in the air, there’s hope that baseball will be played in 2020. If it is, hopefully, these three guys will be able to overcome some of the disadvantages of a shortened season amongst terrible circumstances that will most certainly present.