What we’re hearing about the Cubs’ downward spiral: lineup issues, pitching plans, trade deadline

About this episode

The episode discusses the Chicago Cubs' struggles, including lineup and pitching issues, and the implications for the upcoming trade deadline.

It’s not a great marketing slogan for Wrigley Field, but Cubs manager Craig Counsell perfectly summed up the experience of watching this offense fail to deliver in clutch situations: “It makes you sit in discomfort.” With Cubs fans getting restless, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney open their notebooks to share information on why Counsell is mostly sticking with his guys, when the rotation should get some reinforcements and how this prolonged slump could impact the front office’s approach to the trade deadline. 🌶️ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guests: Sahadev Sharma, Patrick Mooney

Topics covered

• Cubs performance
• lineup issues
• pitching plans
• trade deadline
• Cubs management
• fan reactions

Keywords

• Cubs
• Craig Counsell
• lineup issues
• pitching plans
• trade deadline
• Sahadev Sharma
• Patrick Mooney

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Athletic

Places: Wrigley Field

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• Now what? Updating the Cubs’ outlook on the division race and trade deadline · May 29, 2026 · 35 min