Counsell, however, isn’t fixating on the division lead, which the Cubs cut to 5 1/2 games with a 4-3 win in 10 innings on Sunday. The Cubs manager is busy dealing with a tattered pitching staff.
“I’m thinking about our team right now,” Counsell said. “We just went through this phase of losing pitchers. We’ve got to get through this phase. That’s No. 1. That’s really the focus of everything for me right now. Let’s get our team through this phase and come up with some order on the other side of how we’re going to run it the rest of the year.”
That sense of organization is one reason Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer secretly negotiated a five-year, $40 million contract with Counsell after the 2023 season and then fired David Ross. Believe it when Wisconsin native and former Brewers manager Counsell says his old team is not on his mind.
Check out the 12 pitchers on Chicago’s injured list, a group that on paper looks mostly similar to what the club wants in a 13-man staff for the playoff series:
- cade horton
- Justin Steele
- Edward Cabrera
- ben brown
- jameson talon
- porter hodge
- Shelby Miller
- hobby milner
- riley martin
- phil matton
- hunter harvey
- Daniel Palencia
The Cubs did not have enough pitching to defeat the Brewers in a five-game series last October, let alone win two additional playoff rounds. But winning two of three games at the weekend – three in front of sellout crowds, and in these circumstances – showed resilience and determination.
Starting on August 31, the Cubs and Brewers are scheduled to play seven times in 10 days, with four of those games taking place at Wrigley Field. Reinforcements are expected through both improved health and outside additions before then, but first, the Cubs have to face this stretch before the All-Star break.
record: 46-38
Record this time last season: 49-35
Standing: 2nd place in NL Central
Playoff Possibilities: 66.6 percent (FanGraphs), 70.6 percent (Baseball Reference)
If the season ended today: In the wild-card spot
“We just went through a loss of a pitcher,” Craig Councill said. “We have to go through this phase. This is No. 1.” (Charles LeClair/Imagen Images)
The largest series between now and then: A four-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals begins on July 27 at Busch Stadium, where these two historic rivals can try to clinch the division race and create separation in the wild-card standings. The Cardinals have been surprisingly competitive in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. For the Cubs, this season will be a failure if they do not reach the playoffs. Given the timing of this series, good performance, poor performance or costly injuries can impact each organization’s deadline plans.
Current Requirements: Pitching, pitching and more pitching. Last week’s desperate deal for one-time All-Star David Peterson with the New York Mets was just the beginning of a needed change. The Cubs have already used 12 different starters, including openers. With 22 quality starters through 84 games, the club ranks lowest among the majors in that category, putting more pressure on a fragile bullpen. Team officials acknowledge that the organization’s pitching depth is almost completely depleted.
History says: Hoyer will not be indecisive or passive. “There was no reason to go halfway,” Chicago’s team president said after a massive selloff at the 2021 trade deadline that included trading away Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez for a bunch of prospects including Pete Crowe-Armstrong. That year, Hoyer suffered a losing streak of 11 consecutive games.
Reacting to a different moment, Hoyer also reacted when the Cubs, who were making the July 2023 scramble, suddenly went on an eight-game winning streak. Not only did Hoyer not trade Cody Bellinger at that time, he went out and acquired Jamar Candelario, who might have been the best hitter moved during that transaction cycle.
While last year’s trade deadline was very short – relative to expectations for a team that had spent more than 100 days in first place and expected Hoyer to land a frontline starter – the Cubs still added Andrew Kittredge, Michael Soroka, Taylor Rogers and Willie Castro for their playoff run.
What they will do will determine: A string of pitching injuries have already exposed the roster’s biggest weakness. Milwaukee’s stellar start has significantly reduced the chances of a first-round bye in the playoffs, and Hoyer believes these obstacles are a major factor in how aggressive the front office should be at the trade deadline.
The Cubs will supplement their pitching staff, but they have to stay healthy, and they need key players like Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki to perform up to expectations. This roster was built primarily around hitters who were drafted in the first round and rewarded with nine-figure contracts.
However, for now, Crowe-Armstrong looks like he may be the club’s sole representative at the All-Star Game. In particular, Bregman struggled in the first season of a five-year, $175 million contract, hitting .163 with runners in scoring position and failing to generate any kind of consistent power.
what should they do: Trade away from the organization’s surplus of minor-league hitters to add pitching this October as well as for future years. Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Taillon and Peterson are all eligible to become free agents after this season. Steele has not participated in any games since April 7, 2025. Brown, Cabrera and Horton have yet to complete a full major-league season.
The farm system only has one notable pitching prospect, Jackson Wiggins, who is on a minor-league rehab assignment and not on the near-term radar.
Given the group thinking in front offices, the reliance on projection models for decision making, and the threat of a lockout this offseason, there are only so many times when teams are seriously willing to make deals. The Cubs must take advantage of this opportunity to get better now and prepare for an uncertain future.
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