The Chicago Cubs fell to the Cleveland Indians last night due to a combination of poor pitching and a lack of offense. The outing from Jake Arrieta was perhaps of bigger concern and the Cubs may need to explore a trade before the deadline to improve their rotation.
Arrieta surrendered four earned runs on three hits and six walks in five innings and the Cubs lost 6-0 to Cleveland. Chicago has the seventh-best starter's ERA (3.78) in the MLB, but that doesn't mean their rotation doesn't need improvement. Its inconsistency is the issue and Arrieta has been part of that.
The right-hander has given up four earned runs in four of his last nine starts and is 0-3 in those contests, while going 3-1 in the other five games where he surrendered three earned runs or fewer. However, he's not alone.
Jon Lester has yet to start pitching like an ace, having gone 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA and 1.367 WHIP in his first 13 starts. Kyle Hendricks has been up-and-down as well and Tsuyoshi Wada has a 4.84 ERA in his first five starts. The lone bright spot has been Jason Hammel, who is 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 12 starts so far.
If the Cubs (34-28) wish to stay in the playoff discussion (they currently own the second wild-card spot), president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will need to improve the team's starting pitching. They've already made it known they were looking for relief help on the trade market, but as the deadline approaches that may not be atop the list of priorities.
Manager Joe Maddon's comments after last night's came could begin to spur more trade rumors.
"Maddon also seemed eager to add more pitching after learning that President Theo Epstein said he was looking to increase the Cubs' starting pitching depth," writes the Chicago Tribune.
"I'm a pitching freakazoid," Maddon said. "You're always looking to get better.
"That's what (executives) do, try to make your team better constantly. You can never have enough good pitching."
Based on the talented pitching staffs Maddon oversaw as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays for many years, it's no secret the veteran baseball mind believes starting pitching is one of the most important aspects of the game.
However, it's not up to him to make a move. That's the responsibility of Epstein and Hoyer, who have previously expressed they will seek talent outside the organization to ensure the club stays competitive. We've heard trade rumors mention names such as Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann and even David Price, but it all depends on what the Cubs are willing to give up to improve their rotation.
At this point they need to create more stability among the unit. Everyone is aware of it, and it will be a heavily monitored subject from now until July 31.
