5 Chicago Cubs Miniseries Observations Including Willson Contreras’ Trade Market & David Robertson’s ‘Break’

During the summer of “Boys of Zimmer” in 1989, Don Zimmer told a story from his earlier stint as manager a few years earlier in Texas.

According to Zimmer, Rangers owner Eddie Chiles would constantly come into his office and ask why the team was losing so many games.

“I said, when you’re not talented, you try to win a certain number of games,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer then took a small piece of cardboard and wrote “TALENT” on it. Every time Chiles walked into his office and asked the question, Zimmer simply held up the sign.

“I don’t think he appreciated that,” Zimmer said.

Chicago Cubs president Tom Ricketts doesn’t have to worry about manager David Ross complaining about the talent shortfall in 2022, even though Ross casually mentioned losing to a “first-place team with a payroll of $300 million” after a doubleheader against New York City. Mets.

The Cubs are 17 games under .500 heading into Thursday’s opener of a four-game series at San Francisco, but have won six in a row after a nine-game losing streak. Before a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, a reporter told Ross that reliever Chris Martin compared the makeup and talent of the clubhouse to the world champion Atlanta Braves, Martin’s former team.

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“That’s a great assessment, and it’s always fun to hear the outside perspective,” Ross replied. “When you listen to guys who have been in other organizations come here and see what I feel and what I think we know is that there are good people here with good talent.

“We have winners. We have guys who know how to win, guys who learn how to be successful and win. We are trying to move in that direction as quickly as possible. We are getting there.

One of Ross’ duties is to sell hope to Cubs fans. Zimmer wasn’t so delusional when he ran bad teams like the 1981 Rangers. It’s nice to think the Cubs can emulate the Braves, but he’s also far-fetched based on running the two organizations.

Here are five observations from the minihomestand against the Pirates.

The New York Mets have reportedly been in the mix for a while, but the Astros are desperate for a two-way receiver.

Contreras would fit in well with any team and would obviously have a good shot at winning his second World Series ring.

In Houston, he would join former Cubs teammate Martin Maldonado, who spent just two weeks on the North Side in 2019 before being traded for Tony Kemp. Maldonado, a defensive specialist who is popular in the Astros’ clubhouse, is hitting .172 with a .582 OPS.

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Contreras would be a significant upgrade for the Astros, who are battling the New York Yankees for the best record in the majors, and that would mean home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Ross went with Scott Effross and Mychal Givens, respectively, and both took their save opportunities. Ross insisted he didn’t use Robertson on Tuesday because it was a day game after a night game, even though Roberston didn’t pitch Monday either.

“If it had been a night game, he probably would have been available,” Ross said.

That didn’t make much sense, since a night game would have given Robertson only a few more hours of rest.

robertson is working on an affordable one-year deal that makes it an attractive acquisition for a contender on a tight budget. Not only has he been bought, but he is one of the Cubs’ top trading chips after Contreras and Ian Happ, who has attracted the most interest according to ESPN jeff passan.

Pederson led the way last summerbeing traded to the Braves on July 15 for left-handed first baseman Bryce Ball.

Pederson ended up winning a ring and gaining a cult following with the Braves, which he turned into an All-Star start last week. Ball had nine home runs and 55 RBIs in 87 games at Double-A Tennessee through Tuesday, with an .804 OPS. (Spoiler alert: There is no prize for the first Cub to be traded.)

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With the Cubs playing string, Robertson can rest his arm until he is traded. There’s no real need for the Cubs to risk injuring one of their main trading chips.

The lack of development of the Cubs’ pitching prospects under Theo Epstein’s regime was supposed to end with the rise of the talented young left-hander. But injuries and COVID-19 kept Marquez out of action after his only major league appearance in 2020.

Then on Monday, VP of Player Development Jared Banner told reporters Marquez underwent surgical debridement on his left shoulder on June 17 and would miss the rest of the season. The Cubs expect the pitcher to make a full recovery.

While another difficult hurdle for Marquez to overcome, the news was yet another example of the glaring “transparency” problem that has damaged the team’s image in the second year of Jed Hoyer’s ascension to president of baseball operations. The fact that the Cubs waited nearly six weeks to provide information on the status of one of their top pitching prospects suggests Hoyer still has work to do to overcome the criticism he has received on his plan to build the “next great baseball team.” the puppies”.

the puppies refused to negotiate an extension with Contreras, who he has repeatedly said he wants to stay. That’s his prerogative, but it also means he’s likely to be traded in the upcoming seven-game trip to San Francisco and St. Louis.

Yet Marquee Sports, the Cubs’ television network, treated Contreras’ highly anticipated final game at Wrigley Field on Tuesday as if it were a solemn day for the organization, the same organization that didn’t extend it in the first place.

Is it too much to ask for a contrary opinion from time to time?