Chicago Cubs: Zach Davies is doing more right than you might think

There’s not much good to say right now with the Chicago Cubs. The losses have quickly piled up and this team finds itself under .500 and on path to a franchise-altering trade deadline. With everyone quick to jump all over the losing streak, offensive woes and bullpen proving to not be as good as we thought, focusing on a positive would be good for all of us. That positive has actually been Zach Davies and he’s been doing enough to help this team compete.

Visiting Wrigley on a nine-game losing streak, there was still a buzz in the air with the team finally returning home and a chance to get some momentum against a Philadelphia Phillies team who has also struggled. All the positive energy went away as a 2-2 ballgame quickly became 10-2 blowout, thanks to outings from Rex Brothers and Kohl Stewart. The lack of command from this bullpen is a story for another day but Davies took the hill and threw five strong innings of two-run baseball.

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Davies has actually been a consistent option for this rotation and, take it for what you will, has become this team’s number two starter. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of his past six starts and has lowered his season ERA to 4.28. He’s rebounded nicely from his shaky start and is a reliable option every fifth day. Take away his outing against the Marlins where he gave up eight earned runs and he’s been, dare I say, lights-out.

The best part about Davies is that he actually leads the league with 18 games started. With how fragile this league has seemingly become, having a guy that is durable and consistent is undervalued and it’s great to have that in the rotation. It’s also worth noting he led the league in that stat with 33 games started for the Brewers in 2017.

With a career ERA of 3.85, the right-hander has shown consistency throughout his time in the big leagues. While he’s not gonna blow you away with velocity or punch outs, you know what you’re going to get with him and it’s a great piece. He would definitely serve well as a rotation’s third or fourth man, but we’ll take whatever we can get at this point.

Chicago Cubs: Zach Davies could end up being a valuable trade chip

The Cubs are on a path to becoming sellers this deadline and Davies could actually be a solid trade piece if that’s the route this team decides to go. He’s on a one-year deal for $8.6 million and at 28 years old he could bring back a decent return. However, even if this team does become sellers I would look elsewhere for pieces to move because this rotation is already depleted enough and the stadium still needs to be filled.

It’s been a disappointing month for this team and it almost feels like the writing is on the wall. It’s nice to know we have some reliable options like Kyle Hendricks and Davies that can put this team in position to win games. Let’s hope this group can find a way to right the ship in July and get this rotation the wins they’ve been deserving of lately.