The Chicago Cubs Are Battered, But Not Beaten: A Story You Can Understand

What’s Going On?

Imagine you’re building the best LEGO castle ever. You’ve got all the cool pieces — the fancy towers, the drawbridge, the dragon on top. But then, one by one, your biggest, strongest LEGO pieces start disappearing. You still want to build that dream castle, but you’re running out of blocks.

That’s basically what’s happening to the Chicago Cubs right now. They’re a baseball team, and their pitchers — the players who throw the ball — are getting hurt left and right. A LOT of them. We’re talking 12 pitchers who are currently injured. That’s like losing almost your entire pitching team!

But here’s the surprising part: they’re still doing okay.

Where Do the Cubs Stand?

Let’s look at the scoreboard:

Not bad for a team dealing with so many injuries, right?

A Quick History Lesson: Why Are the Cubs and Brewers So Important to Each Other?

Every popular kid in school probably had a rival — someone they always competed with. For the Brewers, that rival is the Cubs, and vice versa.

But things got really interesting after the 2023 season:

1. The Cubs’ boss, Jed Hoyer, secretly offered a 5-year, $40 million contract to Brewers manager Craig Counsell
2. Counsell accepted
3. The Cubs then fired their old manager, David Ross, to make room

So yeah, the Cubs stole the Brewers’ manager. And now whenever Counsell’s name is announced at Brewers games? Boooooooo. The Milwaukee fans are not happy.

The Big Problem: Injured Pitchers EVERYWHERE

Important

Twelve Cubs pitchers are currently on the injured list. This is the single biggest challenge the team faces right now.

Here are some of the key names:

• Justin Steele — hasn’t pitched since April 7, 2025
• Cade Horton — talented but hasn’t finished a full season yet
• Jameson Taillon — experienced arm, currently hurt
• Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera — young pitchers who are also still developing

The Cubs have already used 12 different starting pitchers this season. Think about that — that’s basically a new arm every week! Only 22 of their games have featured what baseball calls a "quality start," which means their pitchers rank near the bottom of the entire league in that category.

Their team president Jed Hoyer put it simply: the team’s pitching depth is "almost completely gone."

How Did the Cubs Respond?

When you’re in trouble, you’ve got two choices: give up, or fight back. The Cubs chose to fight.

The David Peterson Trade

Desperate for pitching help, the Cubs made a trade to get David Peterson from the New York Mets. He was a former All-Star — meaning he’s been recognized as one of the best in baseball before. Fans called this a "desperation deal" because, well, they really needed someone to throw the ball.

The Weekend That Showed Their Grit

Despite all the injuries, the Cubs went to Milwaukee and won 2 out of 3 games against the first-place Brewers — in front of three sold-out crowds. That took serious heart and determination.

Craig Counsell said it best:

"We’ve just gone through this period of pitcher loss. We’ve got to get through this phase. That’s No. 1. That’s really the focus of everything for me right now."

What About the Hitters?

Here’s something ironic: the Cubs’ hitters (the players who swing the bat) were the ones the team spent big money on. Think of it like building a fancy car with an amazing stereo but forgetting about the engine.

Big Contracts, Big Expectations

Right now, the only Cub who looks like he might make the All-Star Game is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is technically a hitter too.

So all those huge paychecks? They haven’t translated to enough runs on the board.

What Happens Next? The Big Deadline

In baseball, there’s a special date called the trade deadline. Think of it like the last day of a yard sale — teams can swap players before the playoffs, but after that, your roster is locked in.

Key Dates Coming Up:

1. Starting August 31 — The Cubs and Brewers play 7 times in 10 days, with 4 of those games at Wrigley Field. That’s a LOT of rivalry baseball in a very short window!
2. July 27 — A four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals (another big rival), which could shake up the division race

Will the Cubs Trade?

Based on history, yes. Jed Hoyer has a track record:

• In 2021, he made a massive decision to trade away star players (Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez) for future prospects when the team was losing
• In 2023, when the team was suddenly hot, he added players instead of trading them away
• Last year, he added four players at the deadline to help the playoff push

The pattern is clear: Hoyer acts when he needs to. And right now, he needs to.

The Big Question: What Should the Cubs Do?

Smart Move Idea

The Cubs have a surplus of young hitters in their minor-league system but a severe shortage of pitchers. Trading extra hitters for pitching help — both for now and the future — seems like the obvious play.

Here’s why this matters so much RIGHT NOW:

• Five key pitchers (Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, David Peterson, and possibly others) could leave the team after this season
• The team has essentially one notable pitching prospect
• There’s a real possibility of a lockout (a work stoppage) after the season, meaning this might be one of the last chances to make trades at the deadline for a while

Summary

The Chicago Cubs are in a tough spot, but they’re still in the game. Here’s what you need to remember:

• 12 pitchers are injured — that’s the team’s biggest crisis
• They’re still in 2nd place (~67-71% playoff odds) despite the injuries
• Their expensive hitters aren’t producing enough to make up for the pitching losses
• They traded for David Peterson as an emergency move and will likely make more trades before the deadline
• A huge 7-game stretch against the Brewers starts August 31
• The smart strategy: trade extra minor-league hitters for pitching help — both for the playoff run AND to prepare for a possible lockout next year

FAQ

Q: Why are so many Cubs pitchers hurt?
A: Baseball is a sport that puts enormous strain on arms, especially elbows and shoulders. Pitching 162 games over a season means lots of throwing, and sometimes bodies just break down. The Cubs have been particularly unlucky this year.

Q: Who is Craig Counsell and why do Brewers fans boo him?
A: Craig Counsell was the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers for years. After the 2023 season, the Cubs hired him away by offering a 5-year, $40 million contract and fired their old manager to make room. Fans view this as a betrayal — like your neighbor stealing your favorite babysitter!

Q: What is a "wild-card spot"?
A: In MLB playoffs, the three teams with the best records in each division automatically qualify. Then the next three best teams — even if they didn’t win their division — also get in. Those three extra spots are the "wild cards." The Cubs are currently projected to grab one of those.

Q: What’s the trade deadline and why does it matter so much?
A: The trade deadline is the last day teams can swap players before the playoffs. After that date, your roster is locked in. It matters because teams that are doing well want to add pieces to win NOW, while teams that are struggling might trade away stars for future help.

Q: What’s a lockout?
A: A lockout happens when the league (the owners) and the players’ union can’t agree on a new contract. It means everything stops — no games, no trades, no signings. There’s concern that could happen after this season, which is why the Cubs want to make moves NOW rather than wait.