The Cubs did the right thing at the MLB trade deadline, reversing corse and becoming measured buyers. But what's next for the suddenly red-hot north siders?
As of Friday morning, Chicago is just 2.5 games back in the NL Central after a win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. The division-leading Brewers, along with the Reds who are just a half-game back, are 4-6 in their last ten games. The Cubs, meanwhile, are 8-2.
Measured acquisitions, such as bringing back former Cub Jeimer Candelario, have worked well so far. Candelario made history in his first few games back at Wrigley. Meanwhile, Chicago finally cleared their logjam at first base by DFA'ing Trey Mancini. Cody Bellinger continues to rake, especially with the newfound belief he may have a long-term home. And Marcus Stroman, who the Cubs held onto at the deadline despite the advice of many pundits, was placed on the injured list.
Any baseball roster is fluid. Changes are constant, especially this time of year. Here's what to expect from Chicago by early September.
Cubs who won't be on Sept. 1 roster: Anthony Kay
Chicago's bullpen leaves much to be desired, and they need relief pitchers they can trust. That is not expected to be Anthony Kay, who has an ERA over six since his promotion to the big leagues. Kay was once a Blue Jay, but claimed off waivers by Chicago. Kay performed well enough in Triple-A Iowa to earn another chance in the bigs, as MLB Trade Rumors summarizes:
"Kay, 28, came to the Cubs in December when they claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays. They put him back on waivers about a month later but were able to get him through, keeping him in the organization. He's spent the year in Triple-A so far, tossing 28 innings over 23 appearances. He has a 4.50 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, 12.8% walk rate and 54.4% ground ball rate."
Unfortunately, Kay regressed to his old ways in Toronto shortly after arriving. From 2019 to 2022, Kay had a 5.48 ERA with the Jays in 28 appearances. He hasn't been much better with the Cubs, hence why they'd be better served sending him elsewhere.
Cubs who won't be on Sept. 1 roster: One of the catchers
No, I'm not talking about Yan Gomes.
However, it's rare for any team to carry three catchers this late in the season. Chicago, which has Tucker Barnhart and Miguel Amaya behind Gomes, is one of those teams.
Come the postseason, it will make sense for the Cubs to carry three catchers on the roster in case of emergency. In fact, they'll have the roster space to do that. For now, though, it's odd to see a veteran like Barnhart sharing backup catcher duties with Amaya.
Both players have their strengths. Amaya, the younger of the two, is just 24 years old and slashing .262/.376/.417 — all really good offensive numbers for such a demanding position. He's not nearly as elite defensively as a player like Barnhart, though, who the Cubs acquired specifically to help manage their pitching staff. It's tough to see either player sent down. At some point the Cubs will need the necessary roster space to add at other positions of need, rather than featuring three catchers.
Amaya is younger, and would likely understand a demotion to the minor leagues if it's merely to receive more regular reps. Barnhart, on the other hand, likely has to clear waivers. As a former Gold Glover there's no guarantee some other contender wouldn't scoop him up.
Cubs who won't be on Sept. 1 roster: Patrick Wisdom
It's been a really off season for Patrick Wisdom, who is hitting under the Mendoza line and fails to receive regular at-bats. Now that Trey Mancini is gone, there's certainly a case to be made to giving his starts to Wisdom, but not all that is a moot point if he can't put together productive at-bats.
As Cubbies Crib's Jake Misener wrote just a few weeks prior to the trade deadline, Wisdom's time with Chicago ought to come to an unceremonious end.
"Patrick Wisdom has had a nice little run with the Cubs – but the time has come to pull the plug….Wisdom is more than capable of changing the game with one swing. The problem is the cure is the disease itself. He swings and misses a ton, ranking in the bottom 11% in whiff rate while also grading out poorly defensively. Maybe there's a place for him somewhere, but it's not in the future of the Chicago Cubs."
Wisdom is the third-string first baseman, third-string third baseman, fourth-string left fielder and right fielder, as well as the backup designated hitter. He's not the Cubs go-to player for any one position, and is unlikely to receive regular at-bats moving forward on a playoff team. Chicago failed to find a trade suitor for him, so the time is now to move on.