When the Chicago Cubs made the major offseason move to fire David Ross and hire Craig Counsell to be their new manager, expectations immediately shot up surrounding the team.
Last year, the Cubs looked like a legitimate postseason team. However, they fell apart down the stretch of the season and didn't get in. Ross was blamed heavily for managing blunders.
To start the 2024 season, Counsell looked like a genius pickup. Despite some major injury issues, Chicago was finding ways to win. Unfortunately, that trend did not continue.
Lately, the Cubs have had issues winning games. They have been losing at a very high rate and have fallen completely out of the NL Wild Card race. While there is still hope, the season has been depressing.
Amid the rumors that Chicago could look to sell ahead of the MLB trade deadline later this month, Counsell spoke out and addressed a question about whether or not the team needs to start winning as soon as possible to avoid a trade deadline sell-off.
“Yes. I think we have to perform in July. Take away the second part.”
He originally didn't want to talk about potential trade deadline moves, while also acknowledging that the team needs to figure out its issues very soon.
Counsell then expounded a bit on the trade aspect of the question.
"I’ve never heard of that. I’ve never heard of somebody saying like, ‘This is the number.’ We got to perform today. I don’t think that’s ever going to change."
Currently, the Cubs are 12 games back in the National League Central division race and are actually the worst team in the division. That is not a place that they are fine with being. The front office is extremely unhappy with the way the team has played.
If Chicago does decide to trade away talent, there are a few players who have emerged as potential candidates to be moved.
Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Jameson Taillon, and Nico Hoerner are all players who have been mentioned in trade rumors. There are likely other players on the roster that would be available as well.
There is still a chance that the Cubs could turn the season around before the trade deadline. However, if they don't, it seems likely that the roster could look significantly different. It's make-or-break time for Chicago and it will be interesting to see what Counsell can get out of his team.
