5 darkest moments for Chicago Cubs fans since the MLB trade deadline

What a long week it’s been for Chicago Cubs fans. That is to say the very least. Since last Friday, the team has become a shell of its former self. Franchise icons Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez not only packed up and left Chicago, but have gone on to make an immediate mark on their new teams.

It’s been a great six years for Cubs fans as we’ve witnessed this team have its most successful stretch in franchise history. One World Series championship, a National League pennant, three straight NLCS appearances and a trio of division titles. As fantastic as the run was, as the years went on, the team’s overall production little by little began to snowball downhill.

The Chicago fanbase knew change was coming but could not envision the entire team they’ve known and loved for six years becoming a mere memory. Taking a look back at the last week, these are the top 5 saddest moments for Cubs fans as they brace for a wild ride, plummeting toward mediocrity, with hopes of re-tooling and being back on top sooner rather than later.

Chicago Cubs: 5 darkest moments of the last week – #5 – Andrew Chafin

Once Joc Pederson was traded to Atlanta for first base prospect Bryce Ball two weeks ahead of the deadline, it served as an ominous omen of the impending fire sale that was to ensue. Before long, the dominos started to drop one by one, starting with Andrew Chafin. The Chicago Cubs losing their lights-out eighth-inning setup man was a gut-punch as it was, trading Chafin to Oakland for prospects Greg Deichmann and Daniel Palencia.

It was no secret the bullpen was what kept this team afloat for much of the year. That is, until the group got overworked by a starting rotation that regularly fell short. As for Chafin, he posted a 2.06 ERA in 39 1/3 innings of work. It got to a point where if the Cubs had the lead going into the eighth inning and you saw the Sheriff warming up, you knew it was a 1-2 punch of Chafin and Kimbrel coming in and more than likely you could rest assured knowing the game was probably already over.

Since departing, Chafin has had four scoreless appearances in Oakland, picking up right where he left off. He became a fan favorite in Chicago. For a moment, what was thought to be a glimpse of hope by the fans that maybe the worst was close to behind them became a far cry from the reality that was swiftly setting in on the North Side.

Chicago Cubs: 5 darkest moments of the last week – #4 – Craig Kimbrel

Losing Craig Kimbrel was probably the easiest move to come to terms with given we all knew how much trade value he had. But at the same time, it made it abundantly clear: this was a top-to-bottom house cleaning.

Knowing the bullpen was the strength of the team, to deplete and whittle it down to almost nothing was all the Wrigleyville faithful had to see. They knew the front office was no longer trying to compete and had cast its focus on the years to come.

Kimbrel, who was in the middle of a monster season, the type of year that any contending team would be striving to obtain and utilize the services of, was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer. With Chicago, Kimbrel posted a 0.49 ERA in 36 2/3 frames, on pace to have one of the greatest seasons as a reliever in terms of ERA, was far and away the most valuable player on the Cubs roster.

Prior to his return to Wrigley Field on Friday, when he turned in his worst outing in basically a decade, serving up a game-tying three-run shot to Andrew Romine in the eighth, Kimbrel had been his typical dominant self. But needless to say, all any Cubs fans are thinking about this weekend is how shaky Kimbrel looked in the Crosstown Series opener.

Chicago Cubs: 5 darkest moments of the last week – #3 – Kris Bryant

The photo speaks for itself. Seeing Kris Bryant in a San Francisco Giants uniform seems like a bad dream come true. His jersey is supposed to be blue and have a red ‘C’ on it. Nevertheless, the former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP was traded to the NL West-leading Giants ahead of the deadline.

When Bryant was called up in 2015, you knew you were seeing something special. With the emergence of Anthony Rizzo and then Bryant, Cubs fans finally had a breath of fresh air after years of misery. Something to talk about. Something exciting was happening. The Lovable Losers were starting to win, taking the league by storm. Only one year later, Bryant won Most Valuable Player honors in the Senior Circuit and helped the Chicago Cubs capture their first World Series title in 108 years.

Fast forward to 2021 and while it wasn’t necessarily a surprise given the parameters, it still was an unwelcome reality for fans that fell in love with the superstar many years ago. In a contract year with an agent notorious for getting his clients as much free agency money as possible, it was written in the stars that Bryant’s time on the North Side. was coming to an end.

In his career with the Cubs, KB slashed .279/.378./508 to go along with 160 HR and 465 RBI. The four-time All-Star has forever etched his name in Chicago Sports history. Kris Bryant will always be given a warm welcome any time he steps onto Wrigley Field.

Chicago Cubs: 5 darkest moments of the last week – #1 – Anthony Rizzo

Insert nauseated emoji here. I think I can speak for everyone when I say, once Anthony Rizzo was traded to the New York Yankees, fans alike became numb to the whole trade deadline. Losing Rizzo is about as heartbreaking an event that any of us ever fathomed.

Virtually nobody expected it and it was at this moment that fans became enraged. The Rizzo to the Yankees trade the day before the deadline served as the catalyst of what was really about to go down on the North Side.

A lot of people will be forever resentful toward the front office for this move. Rizzo warmed the hearts of fans night in and night out not only with his bat and brilliant defensive play in the field, but off the field as well. His contributions to the City of Chicago are second to none on the Cubs roster. He is truly a spectacular human being. Winning the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award was no mistake – and he embodied those characteristics every single day.

The captain slashed a career .272.372/.489 with the Cubs to go along with 242 home runs and 799 runs batted in. Thankfully since his departure to the New York Yankees, Rizzo has been scalding hot. He has batted .400/.519/.850 with 3 homers and 6 RBI in his first six games in the Bronx. Once thought to be a mainstay in Chicago, I doubt there is one fan that won’t wish Rizzo the absolute best in his life and career moving forward.