Cubs hit shocking new low with major Cody Bellinger gaffe

A season that began with so much hope for the Chicago Cubs simply hasn't materialized. And unfortunately, it seems like it could be trending toward a disaster. In the same 24-hour period in which MLB insider Jon Heyman suggested that the Cubs could be sellers at the trade deadline in just more than month, they are slipping further into a hole and doing so embarrassingly.

Facing off against manager Craig Counsell's former team and Chicago's NL Central rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs were looking to get a rally going down 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning. Cody Bellinger was on first base with Ian Happ at the dish with one out.

Someone probably should've told Bellinger that there was only one out, though, because he clearly had no idea.

Happ hit a lazy fly ball to centerfield and Bellinger just took off. As the camera panned to the ball heading toward the outfield, you could see the Cubs star rounding second base already. So when Brewers centerfielder Blake Perkins hauled in the catch, Bellinger had to run almost a full 180 feet to try and get back to first to avoid being doubled up. He was obviously unsuccessful.

Cody Bellinger gets thrown out after forgetting number of outs

This is horribly embarrassing for any MLB player to not be aware of the game situation in a still-winnable two-run ballgame. But it's also indicative of one of the many problems plaguing the Cubs this season.

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the base paths have been a boogeyman for Chicago this season. The Cubs have the second-most outs made on the bases made at first base, the most made at second base, and the most made at home plate. And that doesn't even include getting caught stealing! It's just bad base-running!

Bellinger, interestingly enough, was a big part of the aforementioned trade conversations as Heyman reported that the Cubs could deal the former NL MVP at the deadline if they choose to sell given that he has opt-outs after this year and the next in the three-year pact he signed in free agency this offseason.

And the Cubs are getting dangerously close to being obvious sellers. They entered Friday night's contest six games under .500 and are on the verge of dropping to 38-45 as of this writing. They're in the cellar of the NL Central, 10.5 games back of Milwaukee, and are falling further behind in the crowded NL Wild Card race, entering Friday four games back of the final spot.

Truth be told, it's not going to get any better either when the club is making mistakes as glaring as this one.