The Chicago Cubs are leaning on Kevin Gausman in Game 2 against the San Diego Padres, but the mood around the club is already bleak after what happened in the opener.
Craig Counsell said Gausman will start Wednesday night, a notable development after the right-hander’s availability had been in doubt for the past week because of left shoulder discomfort. Gausman said the issue has improved, though his own words stopped short of a full-throated declaration that he’s completely out of the woods.
“It speaks volumes to the training staff here,” Gausman said, “everything they’ve done to get me to this point to be able to go out there tomorrow, and feel good to go out there. I don’t know if we felt this way a couple days ago. That’s always a good sign.”
This is exactly the kind of spot the Cubs had in mind when they brought Gausman in at the deadline. He was struggling with the Toronto Blue Jays, but Chicago hoped a postseason push would unlock the pitcher who looked like a different arm against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last October.
That version hasn’t shown up consistently in Chicago. Across nine regular-season starts with the Cubs, Gausman posted a 4.83 ERA. The encouraging piece is the swing-and-miss stuff: his strikeout rate with the Cubs climbed above 27%, and that’s the trait Chicago needs most if it’s going to keep San Diego’s offense in check.
The problem is bigger than one starter. The Cubs enter Wednesday with the kind of confidence that has been hard to find, and history has not been kind to them in these situations.
After stumbling into the postseason, this already has the feel of a season closing out the way too many Cubs fans feared it might. Still, for one night, they get Gausman and a chance to push back against what looks like an inevitable ending.
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Cubs May Regret How Much Jed Hoyer Paid For A Short-Term Push
The Cubs pushed hard at the deadline, and the cost of that urgency is already easy to see in the shape of the deal Jed Hoyer made. Chicago brought in Kevin Gausman and Ryan Zeferjahn to bolster the pitching staff, parting with a batch of prospects that included Brett Bateman, Ty Southisene, Moises Ballesteros and Mason McGwire in the process. It was the kind of move that can look bold in July and much tougher to judge once the season has had time to breathe.
Gausman gave the Cubs nine starts and finished with a 4.83 ERA before getting hurt late in the year, while Zeferjahn showed enough to keep some intrigue with a 4.50 ERA over 18 innings. The harder part for Chicago is looking back at what went out the door: Bateman has performed well with the Blue Jays, while Ballesteros has struggled since landing with the Angels. Those mixed returns only sharpen the question of whether the Cubs paid too much for a short-term push. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Counsell Is Safe But Cubs Changes May Be Coming Behind Him
Craig Counsells first three seasons in Chicago have been productive enough to keep the Cubs in the postseason mix, but not quite enough to quiet the larger questions around a club that expected more. The manager is still viewed as secure in his seat, even as the organization looks ahead to what comes next under a new front office regime.
Ryan Flahertys name is one to watch in that process, with the bench coach potentially in line for managerial chances elsewhere. Tommy Hottovys status is another point of interest, since the Cubs are also weighing ways to sharpen pitching development, and any staff turnover behind Counsell could become one of the first signs of how aggressively the club plans to adjust around him. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Have A Bigger Offseason Problem Than Losing Two Fan Favorites
The offseason conversation around the Cubs is already drifting toward the usual end-of-year exits, with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ expected to hit free agency. Those departures would sting, especially for a club that has leaned on both in recent seasons, but Chicago has at least built enough depth in the outfield to absorb that kind of hit better than it could in other areas.
The bigger issue is on the mound, where ESPNs Jesse Rogers reports the Cubs are expected to make rebuilding the pitching staff their top priority. With several pitchers also set to reach free agency, the club faces work in both the starting rotation and the bullpen, and that is the part of the roster that could shape how quickly Chicago gets back into contention. [Read more 🡒]