No team contributed to the dismantling of the Chicago Cubs more than their rivals from Milwaukee.
The Brewers were 9-3 against the Cubs and had won all four series entering the four-game set that was scheduled to begin Monday night at Wrigley Field. Their sweep at American Family Field at the end of June, especially the finale in which the Cubs took a 7-0 first inning lead, demoralized the Cubs in what turned into an 11-game losing streak.
“The Brewers took off, and we were never going to be able to catch them,” Cubs President Jed Hoyer said after the sell-off at the trade deadline. “And obviously this year we’re not wild-card contenders because of what’s happening in the NL West. We got to a place that to me was a very clear and obvious decision.”
So Hoyer pushed the button that blew up the clubhouse on July 29 and 30, and now the Cubs are playing out the string with a collection of journeymen, kids and a few leftovers in the everyday lineup such as Willson Contreras, Ian Happ and David Bote.
Hoyer said this won’t be a typical Cubs rebuild, but he also said there’s no specific plan in place.
“We have prospect currency and we also have financial currency going forward,” he said.
“Do I look like Jed Hoyer?” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said with a grin Monday. “I don’t know. I’m sure their farm system is greatly improved, and I’m sure there are young players I really don’t know much about or if they’re close to making an impact.
“I don’t think you can ever know. Look at the Giants this year. I know we all think we know what’s going to happen, but there are teams that surprise every year. I don’t think you can make a statement right now about what can happen next year.”
The Brewers weren’t expected to make a splash in 2021, but they arrived at Wrigley with a 66-46 record, a five-game division lead and three of the top starting pitchers in the National League in Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta, who was scheduled to face the Cubs on Monday in a game that was delayed by weather before the opening pitch.
The Brewers have managed to win without significant offensive contributions from Christian Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP, and despite having seven players on the COVID-19 injured list, including closer Josh Hader and infielder Keston Hiura.
Unlike the Cubs, the Brewers roster has been a revolving door almost every year, but Counsell is accustomed to constant upheaval.
“You know there are going to be roster changes,” he said. “There has to be for us to keep going, and you plan on it. We’ve developed some young pitching. That’s probably the biggest key here. We gave these guys a shot in 2019. It didn’t go great for a couple of them. But their talent (came through).
“It’s really hard to be a starting pitcher in this league. Very few young pitchers come up and can get to it right off the bat. It takes a little while, so you have to experience the big leagues on the mound, and that’s what we’ve been able to do, give them those opportunities while still putting a pretty good team out there. And now we’ve (gotten) to a good place with them.”
Burnes posted an 8.82 ERA in 2019, while Peralta finished with a 5.29 ERA. How many Brewers fans envisioned they would be as dominant as they are now?
That’s why the Cubs must be patient with their young pitchers, including left-hander Justin Steele, who will make his first major-league start Tuesday night.
“He’s done everything he needs to do in Triple A,” manager David Ross said. “It’ll be a nice day for him to see what he has, and we’ll go from there.”
If the Cubs hope to emulate the Brewers, developing young pitching talent will be paramount. It has been their biggest failure over the last decade by far. Entering the season, Duane Underwood Jr. led all of their drafted pitchers with 36⅓ major-league innings, and he was designated for assignment in March and traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Cubs hope Steele can start a new wave of talent arriving at Wrigley. Keegan Thompson also is stretching out at Triple-A Iowa with the idea of starting for the Cubs soon. Top pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez has been sidelined with shoulder issues and hasn’t pitched in 2021. Caleb Kilian, a right-hander acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Kris Bryant deal, is starting at Double-A Tennessee.
Patience will be the buzzword of the organization, as it was in 2012.
Maybe the “Brewers Way” is the best path to follow.
