'There’s still opportunity': Cubs ready to push forward post-Deadline

CINCINNATI -- Moving beyond the Trade Deadline puts all the rumors and potential distractions to bed until the arrival of the offseason. The Cubs now have their roster for the remainder of this campaign and -- even with a run at a Wild Card spot a fading possibility -- can now focus on getting something out of the final two months.

“It’s settling, really,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of the Deadline being over. “This is our group, and this is who we’ve got to try to do it with. And we’ve got to keep going. The results can frustrate you, obviously, but there’s still opportunity. And that’s how we have to see every day.”

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer called this year “a really frustrating offensive season” on Tuesday, adding that he wanted to see progress on that front down the stretch. On Wednesday, the North Siders enjoyed a strong night at the plate en route to a 13-4 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

It was the kind of one-through-nine performance the Cubs envisioned having more often this season. Each member of the starting lineup had at least one hit. There was a two-out rally in the sixth that netted three runs (highlighted by a two-run homer from Ian Happ). Seiya Suzuki knocked in three runs. New addition Isaac Paredes had a pair of doubles. Chicago churned out a season-high 10 extra-base hits overall, including nine doubles.

“There’s an uncertainty that’s created at the Deadline,” Hoyer said. “But now that we don't have that anymore, I’m hoping that this offense over the next two months -- two months is a lot of baseball -- it’s highly unlikely to be enough to get back in the race, but that doesn’t mean these games aren’t really important as we try to evaluate what the offense is going into next year.

“And I’m hoping that we stabilize and start to show that we can be a solid offense.”

Hoyer constructed the 2024 roster with a strong belief that the lineup would be deep and consistent, citing often this year how the Cubs ended last season ranked sixth in the Majors in runs scored. By contrast, Chicago entered play on Wednesday ranked 24th in runs scored, averaging 4.1 per game.

The inconsistency of the lineup -- hindered by a long list of injuries this year, but also some subpar showings from key hitters -- has been the key reason behind the Cubs residing in last place in the National League Central.

“It’s very surprising,” Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger said. “I think everyone in here is probably a little surprised, especially with how we started and what we were doing last year. It’s a tough game -- a really tough game.”

Chicago averaged 5.4 runs through the first 26 games, but then went into a 61-game drought that featured a .218 team average with a .650 OPS and 3.5 runs per game. In that period, Chicago had an MLB-low .587 OPS with runners in scoring position.

The Cubs then got hot leading into the All-Star break, rattling off eight wins in 11 games -- including a three-game sweep of the Orioles on the road -- while averaging 5.5 runs per game. Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly called the season intermission “the worst timing,” given the team posted a .578 OPS and 2.6 runs per game in the 11 games out of the break.

Asked what he wanted to see from the offense over these final weeks, Kelly pointed to consistency within a game.

“We're just kind of looking for attacking the starters,” Kelly said, “and kind of keeping our foot on the gas pedal throughout those middle innings. We've seen some lulls in the middle parts of games, and then we get ourselves backed into a position where we've got to fight and battle.”

Chicago’s lineup met that goal on Wednesday night. After the Reds cut the Cubs’ lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning, the North Siders responded with seven add-on runs over the final four frames.

“It’s a big deal,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said of the offensive outburst. “The lineup that we rolled out the last two days, I feel like on paper it’s the best version of us that we’ve had so far this year. I’m really excited to see what that looks like, especially since it’s filled with guys that are going to be back in years to come, as well. We’re going to make the most of this year.”