Cubs' recent offensive slump highlights the biggest flaw in the starting lineup

The Chicago Cubs' recent offensive slump is once again highlighting the fact that the starting lineup is lacking a difference-making power bat. Cubs fans are all too familiar with these stretches where the lineup just looks overmatched, and nobody can seem to provide a spark.

That's exactly what we've seen over a brutal nine-game stretch starting with a 6-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on May 9. Since then, the Cubs have gone 2-7 and been outscored 49-29, good enough for a -20 run differential. But the lack of power has also been on full display, with opponents hitting 17 home runs to the Cubs' five.

It's a sobering reminder that the Cubs' current lineup still lacks a player who can consistently be among the league leaders in home runs. Ian Happ is leading the team with 10 bombs this year, but he is tied for 24th in the league and the only Cub to reach double-digits in long balls so far. Meanwhile, teams like the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and even the Chicago White Sox currently have multiple players who have reached the double-digit mark in homers this year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying hitting home runs is the end-all, be-all of a successful baseball team. I'm just pointing out the fact that the Cubs' front office has routinely failed to find one of those top power hitters in the era after Kyle Schwarber unceremoniously left Chicago in 2021. Four of the team's last seven losses were decided by three runs or less, where one swing of the bat could have made the difference.

Where can the Cubs find this kind of bat?

The short answer is that it is incredibly difficult to get your hands on a Schwarber or Aaron Judge. Teams understandably lock those kinds of hitters into long contracts so they rarely hit free agency. Even if they did, the Cubs would have to fork over the kind of cash they've always been hesitant to commit to ($200 million or more).

And the next two free agent classes are pretty slim when it comes to players in the 30+ home run department. The South Side's breakout first baseman Munetaka Murakami will hit free agency after 2027, but teams like the Dodgers and Yankees are going to throw a colossal amount of cash at him if he continues to mash home runs at a 60-per-season clip. To add insult to injury, Murakami took the American League home run lead after he launched two homers against Jameson Taillon on Saturday.

Other than hoping the Cubs develop one of their prospects into a home run phenom, which is theoretically possible for someone like Kevin Alcantara, who has 14 homers in Triple-A this year, a trade seems like the most likely and immediate way to address this issue.

The Houston Astros are a team to watch at the trade deadline this year, as they have a 19-30 record at the time I'm writing this. While there is talent in their clubhouse, the Astros have an aging roster that is hemorrhaging injuries, so if their slow start continues, they could be sellers this year. And nobody would fetch them a better price than Yordan Alvarez.

A lot of people are probably laughing after reading that but there's no denying the Astros could get a massive haul for Alvarez, who is slashing .316/.427/.633 with 15 homers through his first 49 games. With that kind of performance and two years of team control left, this move would gut Chicago's already depleted farm system. But the Cubs and Astros have struck big deals before — the Kyle Tucker trade — and I'm getting desperate for a real power hitter, so just let me dream big on this one.

If the Cubs made a serious offer on Alvarez, they'd have to be willing to part with key pieces of their future like Pedro Ramirez (No. 1 prospect), Jaxon Wiggins (No. 3 prospect) or even major leaguers like Matt Shaw or Moises Ballesteros. And even then, it might not be enough to convince Astros owner Jim Crane to sell.

The hard truth is that the solutions are probably already on the roster. We have to hope this is a bump in the road and not the start of a multi-month swoon we've seen several times in recent years. There aren't a lot of superstar bats available - and the asking price on those that are might be too rich for the Cubs' liking.

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