Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs suffered yet another loss on Friday night, falling to the division rival Cincinnati Reds by a final score of 3-2.
With the loss, the Cubs are now just 31-33. Cincinnati also tied them in the standings in the NL Central. It’s yet another loss in what has become a concerning normal occurence lately.
Chicago’s deficiency in offensive production has been one of its main problems. In particular, the catcher position has been awful.
Counsell recently made a harsh criticism of the team’s catchers in a remark. It is obvious that he is not satisfied with the output coming from the role.
“To be honest, our catchers have had trouble scoring. For us to have a strong offense, our catchers will need to play better offensive. should have positions in your lineup that don’t result in rallies being stopped.
Speaking specifically of veteran catcher Yan Gomes, Counsell was very adamant about the team needing to get him going at the plate.
“We gotta get him going. I think the swing decisions he’s struggled with so far. The consistency of the playing time may contribute to that a little bit. But it’s also a job that you gotta be able to do.”
Next up, Counsell opened up a bit about backup catcher Miguel Amaya. He has had some flashes of potential, but the overwhelming majority of his career has been disappointing.
Here, Miggy has gone through a few distinct stages. He’s experienced bad luck, chasing pitches, and missing hitting opportunities. A few extended at-bats with nothing but foul balls have been witnessed. In those situations, there are certain pitches to hit, but they should not be squared up. All of that has resulted in certain challenges. We will simply continue on. Miguel’s big league at-bats are currently an excellent tutor. He will get better given his degree of experience.
The Cubs need to assess their catcher situation because the trade deadline is quickly approaching. It might make sense to swap for an improvement.
A trade for the Toronto Blue Jays is one possibility that we have already covered at Inside the Cubs.
Jed Hoyer and Counsell will need to decide if the two catchers they have can turn things around. If they can’t, then Chicago needs to make a move.
Hopefully, Gomes and Amaya will be able to start producing at the plate. However, that hasn’t happened yet this season and no one is holding their breath. It remains to be seen, but the Cubs could very well prioritize adding an upgrade at catcher.
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