3 former Chicago Cubs who are making the front office look like fools

Chicago Cubs: Yu Darvish continues to show he’s an elite pitcher

Entering Saturday’s game against the Reds, Chicago Cubs starters carry a 4.65 ERA – the third-worst mark in the National League. If you exclude Kyle Hendricks, it gets even worse. If only there was a bona fide ace that could have made a difference.

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Oh, wait.

The trade of Yu Darvish sent a resounding message to Cubs fans last winter: the golden era was at its end and the eyes of the front office were focused on the future, not the 2021 season. While the players did what they could to change that plan in the month of May, June brought us all back to earth and cemented the team’s place as sellers.

Darvish, meanwhile, continues to do what he did for Chicago last year atop the San Diego Padres’ rotation. On the year, he’s made 16 starts and has a 0.938 WHIP, which is actually better than he had last season, when he finished runner-up in NL Cy Young voting.

He’s been the stopper for a Padres team that’s easily one of the most exciting clubs in all of baseball. But, hey, at least we can take solace in the package of teenage prospects we landed in return, right? Oh, and Zach Davies, whose season has been like riding a roller coaster given its runs of ups and downs.

The Darvish trade is recent enough and the rotation’s struggles bad enough that it’s hard to not be upset about it. He could have easily been just what the Cubs needed to keep their heads above water this year – instead, he’s shoving out west, making Hoyer look the fool every five days.