CLUNKER: For The First Time Since Early April, Chicago Cubs NOT In First Place!

CLUNKER: For The First Time Since Early April, Chicago Cubs NOT In First Place!

The Chicago Cubs led 4-1 early on Monday night and then the Royals scored 11 unanswered. Oh boy. You are Locked on Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. I’m Sam Olbert. I’m a lifelong fan taking my passion into a discussion with you on all things Cubs. Thanks for being part of the show and making Locked on Cubs your first listen today. And the best way you can help us grow the show is to listen every day, like the video and give us a comment below. We have a lot to discuss today. We’re going to talk a little bit about Rhino Ryan Sandberg at the end of the show. We’re going to talk trade deadline. We’re going to talk what makes a a successful season uh for the Cubs with the way the Brewers are playing. Has it has it changed your thoughts at all on what uh would be considered a success for the Cubs in 2025? But we start with Monday night, what was just one of those days uh for the Cubs. And and to be honest with you, it it stings a little bit more when you have one of those days because you have no margin for error. And you know, the the the one of those days actually started before the ball game. And we found out that Pete Crow Armstrong just I believe for the second time all year was not going to be in the starting lineup. Uh council said that he he bruised his knee. Um in one of the slides that he made on Sunday, uh the the assumption is it was the slide going into third base when he actually got picked off and then uh Garrett Crochet was blocking uh the base uh which should have been called obstruction. And if you actually go back and watch that replay, you could see him um you know, kind of bang his knee on the dirt there. So um you know, council said the hope is is to have him um back on Tuesday night, but you know, there’s always just a little bit of concern when when it comes to the Cubs and injuries. I mean, how many times have we seen that and then it’s another day and then it’s another day because, you know, I if there’s a guy that the Cubs cannot afford to lose, I mean, Matthew Boyd just because of their pitching situation is probably at the top and then right behind him is uh Pete Crow Armstrong. So, I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time on this because it does sound like it’s it’s relatively minor for Pete and and hopefully we see him back in the lineup on Tuesday, but um you know, just just just not not great. And then the Cubs go out on Monday night and have just one of their more uncompetitive efforts of the 2025 campaign. Uh Matt and I talked about it yesterday that this was probably the hardest game on paper uh just because lefty on the mound for Kansas City in a good one and the Cubs, you know, um rolling out a bullpen game. I think the Cubs closed like minus 150. They were still pretty healthy favorites in this game and and all was uh all was looking really good. All was looking really really good. The Cubs got out to an early lead. Matt Shaw looked awesome. Had a huge three-run homer. It felt like it was going to be a fun night at the ballpark and then everything imploded. Uh started with Ben Brown and then went to uh Chris Flexon. Uh the Cubs called up Ben Brown and and sent down Ethan Roberts for Ben Brown to feature in uh Monday night’s game as a as a bull guy uh with the bullpen day. And it just it’s just enough. Uh it’s enough. I I don’t know why they did it. I guess maybe for trade value, maybe it was their only option. I don’t know what it was. It’s just I’m tired of it. And it’s not a knock on Ben Brown. I’ve I’ve said it many many times with Ben Brown. It’s It’s very hard to develop and go through growing pains at the big league level when your team is trying to win a division, trying to make a World Series, trying to contend, trying to do all these things. And you know, he he’s just not ready. And you know, JD, you know, talked about on Monday, hey, you know what? I know the results weren’t good, but but Brown showed flashes tonight. No, and no disrespect to JD, it’s just that’s it’s not about that right now. We’re we’re we’re going up against a team that’s that’s winning two nothing as we speak. They’re they’re trying to win 11 games in a row. They’re going to be in first place for the first time since April 4th. It’s not about experimentation. It’s not about uh uh uh flashes of of being good at development. Results. results, results, results. That’s what it’s about right now. And I’m not going to play the blame game on on Jed or whoever it is. I mean, I I I wish in hindsight the Cubs could just have a veteran arm that they could bring up. So, in the middle of this division title race, we don’t have to We have four healthy starters right now. We have four healthy starters. Um, and half of them are guys that you were not depending on before the season uh to to feature main roles. You have Boyd, Imanaga, and then Ray and Horton. Those are your four starters right now. Now, Tyion’s going to be back at some point about a month. Assad hopefully before that. You know, Wix hasn’t been able to compete at at the major league level and and obviously he’d like to make a trade and I know Jed keeps talking about the market and things like that, but man, you wish they were were just able to get an earlier deal done for a competent starter because this is just unacceptable. And you know, Chris Flexon, who’s done really good work for the Cubs, you know, he would have been the other only logical option and and he was worse than Brown. He gave up five earned in three innings, just some some normal regression happening for him. And uh the Cubs gave up 12 runs to to the Kansas City Royals, who I think by all metrics are like the second worst offense in baseball. And you know, uh defense was sloppy in that fifth inning. There was some bad luck involved for sure, but results are results. And and on the other side of the ball, the Cubs scored four runs a and and that was it. Uh they got it done quickly. It was the second inning. They led they led 4-1 and and it felt like all right, here we go, you know, and and they didn’t do anything after that. And they’ve only scored 15 runs in four games here in the second half of the season. Uh most of those are, you know, obviously it’s been four games only, but most of those are are by use of the home run ball. And you know, it it just was um a really bad night at Wrigley. It got away quick. I I it was one of those games you have these games throughout the year where you really feel comfortable, like you really really feel comfortable as as it’s going. It’s like, all right, it’s 4-1 Cubs. We’re in a good place. I’m already, you know, I’m thinking, “All right, what am I going to talk about tonight?” And then you blink. It’s like, okay, it’s 43, you know, we need another one. It’s like, uhoh, this is, you get that feeling once it’s, you know, starting to get away. This thing’s going to get away here. And, um, it got away really fast and went from what was supposed to be a really fun and and felt like a good night to this is not good. And and and you combine that with with with with other factors, particularly the, you know, the team that you are now chasing uh, in this division, and and these losses hurt. These losses hurt when you don’t have a a large margin of error. There’s there there’s no question about it. So, you know, the takeaway is for me is that I I Ben Brown has got to stay in Triple A. That the flashes, the development, the growing pains, that’s what the minor leagues are for. The Cubs got to figure out a different way if they’re not going to be able to make a trade. I think they have uh some Thursday day off. So, they don’t really have to use uh another starter, you know, besides the main four, but they got to get a deal done here. Even if it’s just a a stop gap, some sort of starter like that, they cannot keep running this out. I mean, that was that was eye opening uh uh today how uncompetitive it really was, especially really more flexing than Brown. But with Brown, it’s just I don’t even want to say it because we’ve said it so much on the show. It’s just what it’s it’s not only it’s not game to game. It’s not inning to inning with Brown. It’s literally pitch to pitch. You know, decent execution, bad execution, great execution, bad execution. You just can’t be that inconsistent at this level and expect good results. and the ERA backs it up and I’m just, you know, I’m just tired of it and and I’m sure he’s tired of it, too. But, you know, um the Cubs, the Cubs don’t have much room, uh for growing pains right now as we are in late July. I mentioned it. Um it’s looking like as of right now, for the first time since April 4th, the Cubs will not be in first place in the NL Central. Uh, I want to talk about that situation and and if goals have changed or or what constitutes a successful season. Let’s talk about that all coming up next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Summer sports are in full swing. And whether you’re all about baseball under the lights, golf on the green, or high stakes soccer action, FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting. You’re already following the action. Why not make it a little more thrilling? With FanDuel, you can get in on the game while your friends are getting sunburned at the beach. Look, folks, u I I don’t think must wins are are in mid to late July, especially when you know where you’re going to be at the trade deadline, but man, the Cubs cannot afford to lose on Tuesday night. Matthew Boyd will be going up against season veteran Rich Hill. The line’s not out yet on FanDuel. I’m going to guess the Cubs will close uh just because Rich Hill’s a lefty and the Cubs struggle against him, I don’t think it’ll quite get to minus 200. I’ll say the Cubs will be a minus 195 favorite in that game. And they better find a way to win that baseball game. If you’re new to FanDuel, new customers can bet just five bucks and get 150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. So, open the FanDuel app today or visit fanuel.com to get started. We are back here on Locked on Cubs and as we are recording right now, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the Seattle Mariners 4-0. They are uh threatening to go 4-0 on a West Coast road trip that includes going to LA uh and to Seattle. They are threatening to win their 11th baseball game in a row. I believe it will be 37 of their last 49 going all the way back to late May, whatever it is. And so, you know, I I just wonder and wonder to myself, I wanted to pose the question to you guys, what what is considered a successful season this year for the Chicago Cubs? And, you know, is it is it something tangible? Do they have to get to do they have to get to a certain round in the postseason? Is it is it just getting to the postseason? Do they have to win the division? What what would you consider a successful season? And I think a really big part of it is the Kyle Tucker situation. the the Tucker situation has made things feel so much high stakes, high pressure because it’s, hey, you’re only going to get one shot at this with Kyle Tucker. You have Tucker, Pete’s having a huge year. It’s all come together and you have to have some sort of success. I think the the the pressure of this season and and what constitutes a successful season will change if the Cubs can find a way to extend Kyle Tucker. But, you know, it just doesn’t feel like that’s going to happen. It’s going to be some sort of, you know, if it happens, maybe it’ll be after the season. And and I know what you’re probably thinking at home or or in your car. Well, a successful season is winning a World Series. Obviously, of course. I’m talking about if you’re one of the other 29 teams that ends the season in disappointment. What do the Cubs need to do to to look back on this season as a success? And the reason I bring up that question now is because it is whe whether you like it or not or whether I like it or not, this is a Cub show. And right now the the the biggest story in my opinion surrounding the Cubs is not the Cubs. It is what the other team is doing up north. It just is. And and I I wish I wish that wasn’t the case, but my job is to talk about the most relevant relevant information and to give you my opinion on it. And and that is a team that had a nine-game winning streak starting at the end of May and they’re about to have an 11game winning streak now. And so does that change the what defines a successful year for the Cubs? If the Brewers go on and win 97 games and the Cubs win 95 and they play in a wild card, is that a successful season? I would say probably not. They’ve got they would have to win that threeame series. Um to me in terms of the playoffs, what defines a successful season is I think the Cubs have to get to the championship series. If you’re going to lose Tucker, if Tucker’s going to walk at the end of the year for this to feel worth it, for you to feel like you took your best shot, I think the Cubs have to get to the NLCS. But there there is another way to have a successful season. Um, and that is now after everything the Brewers have done winning this division in spite of that, right? Like if you now find a way it it about a month ago saying hey just winning the division kind of sounded like status quo like hey the Cubs should win this division they’re the best team they’re heavy favorites etc etc well now you are going up against a an unfathomable stretch that the Brewers are on and you know all the talk about hey the Cubs are playing doing this right this right this right and they’re only a game up I think the talk should almost be the other way the Brewers are playing some of the best baseball in terms of wins, losses that we’ve seen in the last 10, 15 years and they only have a one-ame lead in the division. They’re only a game ahead of the Cubs and the Cubs are going there next week. So, I I think you have to kind of what I’m going to try and do here over the next couple of weeks, uh, is change my thinking a little bit instead of I can’t believe the Brewers are here. I can’t believe this. No, you know what? I think it’s really cool that the Cubs are still right there. I mean, this team, they never lose. They literally never lose. And you’re right there. And if you’re able to withstand all of this, Justin Steel out for the year, Imanaga gone for seven weeks, Tyion gone out for, you know, a month plus, Assad’s missed most of the year, don’t forget about Miguela. If you’re able to withstand all of those things and this type of level that the Brewers are playing, winning this division would be more of a of an accomplishment than just a a standard year winning the division. So, I think that’s how you have to think about it. It would be it would be really special after everything they’ve been through. H how many teams I’m I’m curious how many teams in in MLB history have had an 11game win streak plus who knows it’s still pending a separate nineame win streak and didn’t go on to win their division. You know what I mean? And so that’s how you have to look at it. And over the last 36 to to 48 hours I just have accepted it. Like I I really I I think I even said this on the show. I really thought going into the the second half I was like all right let’s see how real this Brewer thing is. because I I I’ll be honest with you, I thought they were going to get swept in LA or lose two out of three at at at worst. And they swept the Dodgers. They swept them. And um when that happened, I kind of just looked around and I’m like, “All right, like it’s on now. It’s going to be a dog fight.” And if if we’re able to figure out a way to win it after everything that they’ve been through, you know, or or every all the success that the Brewers had, I just think that that would be a heck of an accomplishment. So the answer to my question, what constitutes a successful season? As Matt said before the second half, the the goal now winning the division is more now than just winning the division because, you know, now they’re going up against literally the best team in baseball. So, if they could find a way to do that, it would be really, really special. And they have a lot of work to do. You know, they have a lot of work to do in order to do that. I mean, if you just look at the two teams, guys, on paper right now, pitching wise, just right now, it’s Boyd, Imanaga, Ray, and Horton. The starters for the Brewers are uh uh Peralta, Miseroski, Woodruff, Kintana, Prister, and they have Patrick at Triple A. The Cubs would do anything for Colin Patrick to make a start uh for them, you know, soon. The the Brewers have six really good options to choose from right now. The Cubs have three and a halfish. You know, it’s it is it is, you know, a a big difference. Now, we could talk position player and we could talk about how these two teams match up because they’re going to play next week, but you know, I I I just think my point is is, you know, anything in life that that’s that’s worth it is hard. It’s really hard. And for whatever reason, you know, this division a month and a half, two months ago felt like it was going to be the Cubs. And you know, everything’s happening that we thought. Cardinals are fading. The Reds are okay, but this Brewers team has is is is on a a generational type run. So, so what I say is is, hey, embrace it. Don’t fight it. Don’t complain about it anymore. Let’s just embrace it. Okay. Yeah, they’re getting lucky. Yeah, they’re great, too. And you know what? If we find a way to beat them, what does that say about us? You know what it says? It says it would be a successful season. So, Cubs got their work cut out for them, but I believe in this team and I I really do. I’m not just saying that because I have the show. I believe in this team. I know it’s not the best time to say it after they just uh uh gave up 12 runs against Kansas City, but I believe in them and and I believe that they’re going to punch back and the best way to do that, the quickest way to do that is to make a trade. We talk about the options for that coming up next. This episode is brought to you by Open Phone. If you’re running a business, you know that every mis call is money left on the table. Think about the last time you had a service emergency like a burst pipe. If the first plumber didn’t answer, did you wait? Nope. You call the next one. That’s why having a reliable business line is so important. And that’s why you need Open Phone. Open Phone is the number one business phone system that helps you streamline and scale customer communication all from an app on your phone or computer. Did you juggle two phones just to keep business and personal calls separate? Open Phone solved that instantly. Your whole team could share one number and respond to customers like a shared inbox. No more who’s handling this. Open Phone is offering locked show listeners 20% off your first six months at openphone.com/lockedonmlb. That’s op.com/lockedonmlb. And if you have existing numbers with another another service, open phone will port them over at no extra charge. Open phone, no missed calls, no missed customers. We are back here on locked on Cubs and if any game highlighted the Cubs need at the trade deadline uh at least from the pitching side Monday night sure was that uh Patrick Mooney and Sahad Chararma uh in the Athletic uh mentioned a couple names uh uh with the trade deadline uh on Monday. Uh, Au Heno Suarez, the Cubs were connected to, uh, Kyle Finnegan, um, a reliever. Uh, Jeff Passen had an article on ESPN, uh, documenting his his top 50, you know, uh, trade candidates at the deadline. And I want to say about half of them he put for the Cubs and, uh, you know, guys that that that potentially could go to the Cubs. You know, it’s it’s unfortunate the way that this has played out with with the the sellers market. I mean, even a team like Kansas City is three games under, it’s it it’s going to be hard for somebody to just sell. And, you know, Jed Jed talked about it on Sunday in the booth about, you know, getting creative. The Cubs are going to have to get creative. They’re going to have to get, you know, we talked about it, a starter, maybe two. I don’t know if that’s going to be possible, but a starter maybe two, a reliever, and you’d like another bat. I mean, Matt Shaw here is is having an awesome uh four-game stretch uh uh in the second half of the season. I give him a ton of credit. If the Cubs won this game, that probably would have been the main story uh from Monday night. So, if you believe in his bat in the second half and and you you know, you feel like you’re overpaying for a starter, fine. I I I still think the Cubs need another bat. I’ve said that. I’ll continue to say it, but they definitely need a starting pitcher first. And you know, um I’m not overly excited about them being connected to a Kyle Finnegan. I mean, if that’s the relief get, fine. But but but they need a starter and they need one quickly. Like I don’t know, you know, the trade deadline. They still got a lot of games left. I mean, I I’d love to have, you know, I don’t know. I’m assuming they’re going to line it up in Milwaukee. It’ll be if they can Boyd, I Ray. I I haven’t thought about it, but I don’t want like a bullpen game in Milwaukee. Those games are going to be huge and worth, you know, two games in the standings. And so, um, you know, people ask me all the time and saying, “Who’s your top trade candidate? Who’s your top trade candidate?” It’s just like I don’t know who they could get. So, it’s it’s hard for me to answer. I’ll say it again. I I mentioned Edward Cabrera early. I I would love him. I don’t I think that’s going to be really hard to get because of the control. And then after that, I would say Chris Bubich. Those would be the two guys that I think are the best options for the Cubs. I think Chris Bubich, you could hand him the ball against Milwaukee at any time and feel really good. I think he’s a really awesome pitcher. I don’t know what it would take. Um, I would love AU Suarez as well. I would love to go for it and see if you could, you know, play play your best baseball at the right time and make a run at this thing. But, you know, it’s it’s it it’s complicated and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jed is is going in every medium, whether it’s in the booth and, you know, he spent 27 minutes with reporters before uh the second half and he keeps saying how they’re going to have to be creative and it’s difficult. it does seem like it’s a a one-off sort of trade deadline situation and it’s a really good lesson for Tom and the rest of the Cubs ownership that hey, if you have the the financial capital, just go get the guys that are going to help you now. You know, they they almost got Lazardo. If they got Lazardo, we’re probably not having this conversation right now. Even though he’s been up and down, it it still would be really helpful. You know, they offered Alex Bregman, you know, they they they offered certain guys. So if you offered Alex Bregman, you know, whatever it was, 28 million a year, you know, you could have offered another pitcher or you could have made another deal. So, you know, hindsight’s 2020, but but it is frustrating. And, you know, I I I give I give the Cubs a lot of credit in a lot of ways. I mean, you know, they’re getting great performances from their big four offensively, but when you when you zoom out, we spent so much time in the off season talking about their need for a pitcher, and that was before Steel went down, and that was before I went down, and that was before Jameson Tyion went down. Their their big three main guys heading into the season are are all going to miss at least a month plus with injuries. steal for the year. Imanaga seven, eight weeks and and and Tyion um you know a month plus. And so the fact that they’re even in this spot right now is actually pretty incredible. But it also makes you zoom out and say to yourself, you know, it’s not this juggernaut that at times they they’ve they’ve felt like they are they really have kind of had to thread the needle a little bit in order to have this success. And guys like Colin Ray and Boyd, I mean, we’ve mentioned it over and over again, deserve a ton of success. But enough’s enough. You know, Jed’s got to get on the phone. You got to make a move. I know it’s hard. I know no teams want to deal now, but I’ll tell you, the the Rockies will deal right now. They’ll deal. Go get one of their guys to just pitch for a while until you make another move. The Nationals will deal. The Pirates will deal. And I’m not even talking about Keller. I’m just talking about you got I think you got to go get an arm right now to just uh uh uh help because it would be different if you had a three, four, five, six game lead. You’re a game out now. You’re a game out. You don’t have the luxury to wait around. You got to make a move. You You gave away a baseball game tonight against a very mediocre team and an offensively weak team. Um you know, because you don’t have another pitcher healthy right now. So, um you know, that that that’s my thoughts. That’s my thoughts. You know, I I think I think if you’re going to get anything out of this episode, get out of the fact that, hey, instead of fighting this Brewers thing, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go to battle. Let’s have a really fun division race. First to 97 wins and and we play each other eight times. Let’s see what happens. But we need to embrace, you know, that target. They they want to beat us so badly. They’re already calling it a statement series. So, we got to go back. We got to match their urgency at the very least and and and make a statement, too. You know what I mean? And then the second part is with the trade deadline, you know, you’re going to get somebody close to July 31st. We get that. But do you have to make a move now? Do do you have to? Because this is just it was unserious tonight watching Flexon and Brown give up a home run derby to a Kansas City Royals team that is the second least amount of home runs in all baseball. It was unserious. It was an unserious effort. So, um I I want to I know it’s been a a negative show because it was a a bad loss and and of course, you know, uh uh you know, the results don’t make it any better around the league, but I I I I do want to unfortunately just just just close the show on a little bit of a of a somber note. You know, I’m sure people were following along with Ryan Sandberg. um you know, he made a statement right before I think it was like a couple days before the Cubs um returned to action just talking about how he’s just been fighting and uh spending time with family and hasn’t been able to make it out to Wrigley as much as he’s wanted to this year. Um and then over the weekend you had John Lester wearing a Sandberg jersey and and Jed Hoyer with a um beautiful words in the booth about uh uh Sanberg. So, I just want to you on behalf of Matt and and myself and the show just, you know, express my best wishes to Rhino um during what I’m sure is a really difficult time and um you know, you’re talking about a a clear Mount Rushmore Chicago Cub. You know, just one of the four greatest Chicago Cubs to ever do it. Um and and he’s he’s he’s such a great guy and represents so much great uh not only about the Cubs organization, but about baseball. So, um, in the off chance that that you’re listening, Rhino, uh, we wish you the best, um, and a speedy recovery and and everybody, I could speak for every single Cub fan out there, uh, wants to see you back at Wrigley Field as soon as possible, uh, maybe to spark this team and get back to our, uh, uh, winning ways. Uh, so, we wish Rhino the best and, um, Matt will be back with you on Tuesday. He will be, uh, solo. I have a family birthday party that I’m going to be uh, attending. My my uncle’s turning 70, lives out of town, but he’s in town for work. So, we’re going to be taking him out to dinner uh for his 70th birthday. So, I’ll be back Wednesday hopefully talking about a bounceback series win. Thank you so much for checking out this edition of Locked on Cubs. You give us 30 minutes, we’ll give you all things Cubs with a laugh or two along the way. Be sure to subscribe on YouTube, smash the like button for the algorithm, and leave a fivestar review on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you get your podcasts. I’m Sam Ol, and this is Locked on Cubs.

The Cubs were crushed by the Royals Monday night. Sam discusses the loss and another poor pitching game. He also talks about what the Cubs need to do for the 2025 season to be considered a success. The show closes with some trade deadline talk.

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