It's time the Cubs acknowledge a painful truth when it comes to Jordan Wicks

Jordan Wicks may not have felt like he threw the ball poorly on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the results weren't there yet again for the left-hander, who seems to be squandering a golden opportunity to insert himself into the big picture for the Chicago Cubs.

The longevity, or lack thereof, wasn't the issue. Craig Counsell told reporters the series finale was viewed as a bullpen game. But in just 2+ innings of work, Wicks was nicked-and-dimed to death, departing after allowing three earned on four hits with just one strikeout.

“One really bad inning in Pittsburgh, I mean, outside of that, I don't really think I've thrown the ball terribly,” Wicks said. “I haven't gotten great results, but you know, if you get consumed with the results in this [game], it'll drive you nuts. I've got to control what I can control and focus on that and hope to just continue to execute pitches. ... Hopefully, eventually the tides will turn.”

At this point, it's hard to envision Wicks getting another crack at it. Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd are both nearing their respective returns from the injured list, which almost certainly guarantees the left-hander will head back to Triple-A Iowa. The lack of results also makes one wonder if Javier Assad is more likely to get the call the next time the Cubs need a fill-in starter.

Based on what we've seen, Jordan Wicks has no future with the Cubs

Looking at the bigger picture, though, the Cubs have to be asking whether Wicks is a legitimate long-term rotation option. There's massive turnover coming for the staff at year's end, with more than half of the team's starting pitchers ticketed for free agency, and Cade Horton will miss a good chunk of the 2027 season, leaving the starting five very much up in the air.

When Chicago selected Wicks in the first round of the 2021 Draft, he was viewed as a high-floor guy who could reach the big leagues quickly and be a decent piece of the puzzle. Nearly five years later, though, he doesn't have the numbers to match. A 4.04 ERA across 150 or so innings at Triple-A is serviceable, but it hasn't translated against MLB hitters: in just over 100 career frames, he's allowed more than 11 H/9 and carries an ERA pushing 6.00.

We're talking about a guy who, even before the shine came off, wasn't ever viewed as a frontline starter. The Cubs have tweaked his mechanics (with little success), and injuries have done him no favors either. At this point, I'd be surprised if he's even in the organization this time next year. Chicago gift-wrapped both of his starts against the Pirates and Cardinals, and if he can't step in and provide any sort of quality in spot starts, I don't see much of a future for him on the North Side.

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