The inevitable 2023 Cubs Player Profile summing-up, or a fail of two cities

The Chicago Cubs fell short of their potential due to a lack of depth. In the context of Major League Baseball, depth refers to having redundant options and numerous moving parts.

• By
  
  Duane Pesice
  
• on October 12, 2023 1:00 pm

The Cubs’ lineup looked quite different on Opening Day:

1. Nico Hoerner (2B)
2. Dansby Swanson (SS)
3. Ian Happ (LF)
4. Cody Bellinger (CF)
5. Trey Mancini (DH)
6. Yan Gomes (C)
7. Eric Hosmer (1B)
8. Patrick Wisdom (3B)
9. Miles Mastrobuoni (RF)

Starter: Marcus Stroman

There was skepticism about the Cubs’ playoff chances because of this lineup. Players like Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer were considered temporary solutions, and their performance on the field confirmed those doubts. Mancini had a -1.4 bWAR season, while Hosmer recorded a -0.5 bWAR season. It’s unclear if Hosmer will continue playing in the league.

The Cubs attempted to incorporate Miles Mastrobuoni into the lineup throughout the season, but with mixed results. He had a positive bWAR of 0.4, but his slash line of .241/.308/.301 wasn’t impressive. He could be useful as a backup player, but not much more. Miguel Amaya, with a bWAR of 0.3, was just ahead of him.

The Cubs had promising talents like Luis Torrens and Edwin Rios on the bench, hoping for their power to shine through. However, they remained as bench players and never returned to the team. Torrens was traded to the Orioles for cash and was eventually designated for assignment. Rios had a slash line of .263/.364/.454 for Iowa.

Early on, there was a lot of experimentation with the lineup. Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal played multiple positions, Patrick Wisdom showcased his power, Tucker Barnhart was eventually let go, and Miguel Amaya performed well in his at-bats. Nelson Velázquez was also part of the team before being traded to the Kansas City in a move reminiscent of the “Soler move.” Matt Mervis struggled in the majors, but Christopher Morel made an impact with his home runs. Mike Tauchman performed adequately enough for Cody Bellinger to be considered as a first baseman. Seiya Suzuki returned from injury.

Only then did the offense start firing on all cylinders, but the Cubs were still losing the arms race. In the next installment, we will analyze the pitching perspective during the first part of the season.

How did we fare with our predictions?

Not too shabby. We correctly predicted the Velázquez trade. Hosmer and Mancini were never expected to last, and it was apparent to everyone except the Cubs. Hosmer, in particular, performed worse than anticipated. Barnhart’s departure wasn’t a complete surprise. Nobody knew about Bellinger’s struggles, but there were indications. Hoerner, Swanson, and Happ lived up to expectations.

I completely failed to cover Miguel Amaya in a profile. I thought I had already done one, but I will include it in an upcoming series about players in the system.

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