The Cubs have plenty of potential scapegoats for the way the 2023 season is going. Which ones should be fired, kept on a short leash or given time?
If Cubs fans hoped the 2023 season would be the turning point to get the franchise back on the path to compete, they've been sorely disappointed.
Chicago sits at the bottom of the NL Central at 24-31 after two months. The only consolation they can cling to is that the Cardinals have been slumping while the first-place Brewers are only 4.5 games up.
With the MLB trade deadline beginning to loom, it's that time of year when fingers are pointed and consequences hit.
Who are the scapegoats and where do the stand?
The Cubs scapegoat to have patience with: Matt Mervis
Cubs fans badly wanted Eric Hosmer out of the lineup in favor of prospect Matt Mervis. And Chicago ultimately gave them what they wanted, promoting Mervis to the big leagues on May 5. Unfortunately, it hasn't been a dream start.
The first baseman has struggled in his first month, slashing .188/.268/.297 with two home runs.
It's simply too soon for anyone to write off Mervis. He needs time to find his feet at the plate in the majors and that's perfectly understandable.
If he was having a terrible time at first base defensively it might be a different story. However, he's taken care of business positionally. He has one error in 19 games and his fielding percentage is right around the league average.
Prospects can't be given forever to figure things out, and maybe Mervis will ultimately need to be sent down. For now though, the Cubs should take a wait-and-see approach, especially because the other options aren't exactly the most encouraging.
The Cubs scapegoat to put on the hot seat: Jameson Taillon
The Cubs picked up Jameson Taillon in the offseason, giving him a four-year, $68 million contract. It felt like a good move at the time. He was coming off a 14-5 season with the Yankees with a 3.91 WRA in 32 starts.
It's all gone terribly wrong.
Taillon is 0-3 in eight starts (the team hasn't won a game he's started) and the good ones have been more rare than the bad ones. His ERA is 8.04, with four or more runs allowed in each of his last four starts.
In late April Taillon suffered a groin strain. He's returned from that ailment but it certainly hasn't helped him settle in. His stint on the IL came right after his best start of the season — he pitched five scoreless innings in a loss to the Dodgers on April 15.
Considering the contract and completely tanked trade value, the Cubs have no choice but to proceed with Taillon. Still, his seat in the rotation is going to be heating up unless he puts in a few solid performances on the mound. If he doesn't, it may be time to send him back to the IL for a spell because clearly something isn't right with the pitcher.
The Cubs scapegoat to fire: Davis Ross, Carter Hawkins and Jed Hoyer
Cubs fans have been questioning David Ross's job security and for good reason. Chicago's manager won the NL Central in his first year in charge but it's been a downhill ride from there. He hasn't won a playoff series in part because he hasn't made the playoffs outside of that debut season.
And yes, Ross could end up being the ultimate scapegoat for the Cubs in 2023. But he shouldn't be alone.
It's not that Ross has done enough to justify his continued employment, it's that another manager in his place would likely produce similar results because the team hasn't been built for success. That falls on GM Carter Hawkins and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
Of course, Hawkins may be the GM but it's Hoyer pulling the strings. It was Hoyer who signed off on an extension for Ross in 2022 even though results haven't justified it.
The situation with Taillon is just the latest personnel move that looks like a mark against the entire management team. The current makeup of the roster, which isn't super competitive after years of selling at the deadline, isn't helping anyone.
To sum it up, the Cubs don't have a manager, GM or president elevating the operation. It would be up to the owner to fix things but…well…that's a whole other issue.
