3 Cubs players who are actively holding the team back to start the season

Although the Chicago Cubs are off to an excellent start in 2025, there are a handful of players who have turned in some brutal numbers on the young season.

These players probably aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so they need to be better to help the team start collecting even more wins as they contend for a playoff spot.

1. Justin Turner

Even though he has been a gem off the field, Justin Turner has been a big disappointment for the Chicago Cubs this year. Through 44 plate appearances, the former Dodger has a 34 wRC+, 4 RBI, and just 5 total hits (all of them singles).

I wasn't expecting the 40-year-old Turner to tap into the fountain of youth and have a career year, but the Cubs are paying him $6 million this year, and he has so far failed to produce off the bench. And hitting is one of the few areas that Turner can help in, since he is not a strong baserunner or defender at third base anymore. At best, Turner can log a start here and there at first base, but we have already witnessed him make a game-altering blunder at first base this year.

I'm not calling for Turner's head because he is a great guy to have in the clubhouse with his magnetic personality and nearly a decade's worth of postseason experience. He just needs to start producing more with the bat.

2. Gage Workman

After tearing up Spring Training with a 1.125 OPS, third baseman Gage Workman has fallen back to Earth with a crash. It was easy to forget Workman had yet to play a professional game of baseball above the Double-A level when he was smacking home runs in Spring Training, but now at the MLB level, Workman is looking like a roster liability.

The 25-year-old has looked severely outgunned against Major League pitching this year, with just 3 hits in 15 plate appearances. That doesn't sound awful, but two of those hits came while a position player was pitching on the mound during a blowout against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Even with Matt Shaw's demotion to Triple-A, it's hard for Manager Craig Counsell to justify starting Workman at third base. Which is a massive problem considering the Cubs can't option him to the minor leagues. Even on defense, which is supposed to be Workman's bread and butter, he has suffered some miscues. One of these came in the horrendous top of the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks on Friday afternoon, which contributed to a 10-run meltdown.

It's getting to the point where the Cubs may have to send Workman back to the Tigers, the team from which he was selected in the Rule 5 draft last December. The only thing saving Workman right now is his speed on the basepaths for pinch-running scenarios, and the fact that the Cubs do not have a clear answer at third base.

3. Dansby Swanson

Shortstop Dansby Swanson has been abysmal at the plate in recent weeks. Through his first 109 plate appearances, the 31-year-old is slashing .180/.231/.360, with a 29.4 strikeout rate, and a wRC+ of 64.

Swanson is not expected to be a driving force in the lineup, but he needs to be closer to league average to avoid being a hole in the lineup. There may be a bit of bad luck since Swanson is hitting the ball hard when he makes contact, but he is whiffing on too many pitches in the strike zone and failing to draw walks.

Swanson's defense at shortstop and his $28 million annual paycheck will keep him in the lineup every day, which is all the more reason he simply needs to be better.