Three Chicago Cubs who will be hurt most by shortened schedule

Chicago Cubs: Vets will be affected the most

In addition to the apparent issues with the pandemic and its effects on baseball, the Cubs are also in the midst of a bit of upheaval and change within the organization, having just (although it seems like a long time ago at this point) unceremoniously parted ways with the only living Cub Manager to have won a World Series. While David Ross is surely up to the task and an exceptional fit, this starts and stop and restart would test even the most seasoned managers.

The organization is also in a strange contractual place with some of its (not so young anymore) stars who make up a core sitting in the middle of their primes. Not having extensions for Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber, or even Anthony Rizzo at this time will also surely factor into how the individuals and team play.

With the Cubs now being more of a veteran ball club despite their relative youth still amongst position players, it will also be interesting to see how this abbreviated schedule, travel, quarantining and lockdown will affect all of the Cubs, especially those with children. With safety and health being of paramount importance now, you can bet certain players will be changed, which will, in turn, affect performance. As noted earlier, the pitchers are most vulnerable with this kind of season and how it is unfolding, so let’s start there.