3 Chicago Cubs on thin ice if they miss the playoffs

3 Cubs on thin ice if they miss the playoffs

Jun 7, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago Cubs manager David Ross (3) and Chicago Cubs bench coach Andy Green (29) look on from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 9, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Cubs have flown up the National League rankings, finding themselves in the midst of a division race with under 50 games to go.

The Chicago Cubs have completely turned their season around through the middle of the year. At one point, it seemed as though the Cubs were going to be big-time sellers at the deadline, likely moving Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger for prospects.

But the team caught fire. Not only that, but the NL Central has been rather weak this year and that’s opened the door for Chicago to put themselves in a playoff race. But only one team can win the World Series and only so many teams can make the playoffs. If Chicago fails to do so, some players could end up taking a big portion of the blame.

Marcus Stroman may not be re-signed if he doesn’t finish the year on a high note

So far this season, the Cubs haven’t shied away from the fact that they’ve avoided extending Marcus Stroman during the season. This seems like a good decision in hindsight, as Stroman’s value has dropped quite a bit since the rumors began that he was looking for an extension.

Over his last three starts, opponents have slashed .407/.484/.648 off of Stroman and his decline this year hasn’t helped the Cubs much.

In the month of July, Stroman surrendered more earned runs than innings pitched while allowing over four runs in all but one start. Chicago finds themselves 2-5 in his last seven starts with Stroman being handed four of those losses.

As he looks to near a return from the injured list, he’ll have two paths that he could end up down. The first path ends with him returning to form, helping Chicago reach the playoffs and re-signing in the offseason. The other path consists of his poor play continuing and forcing the Cubs out of the postseason.

If his poor play directly translates to the Cubs missing the postseason, it is almost a certainty that his time in Chicago is up. To say that Stroman will be on thin ice for the rest of the season would be putting it a bit too lightly.

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