It’s difficult to watch a Chicago Cubs game this season without pondering whether it’ll be the last year Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo all will be together.
Unless they come to an agreement on contract extensions, all three Cubs stars will become free agents in November. And if it doesn’t happen in the next two months, the trade rumors will be flying before the July 31 deadline.
“It’ll be weird if all three of those guys leave and become free agents and go somewhere else,” former Cubs pitcher Jon Lester said Saturday during a teleconference from Phoenix, where he was playing for the Washington Nationals.
“It’ll definitely be weird seeing them in different uniforms, but unfortunately that’s the nature of what we do. The Cubs have a business to run, and they have to do what they feel is necessary to set them up for the future, whether it be financially or the guys on the field. It’s a hard thing to separate, but hopefully those guys are all there and it’s a moot question and they continue to have that core.
“I’m sure it’ll be very hard to keep all three of them there. (It’d be) a little different Cubs look if all three of them aren’t there.”
While Lester knows firsthand there’s life after the Cubs, Rizzo, Bryant and Baez have to focus on the present while putting their future on the backburner.
Rizzo drove in three runs and Matt Duffy homered and drove in five in a 9-8, 10-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Comerica Park. It was the Cubs’ fourth loss in five games.
“Just one of those grinder games came up short there at the end,” manager David Ross said. “But the offense continued to fight.”
Duffy’s three-run home run in the fifth gave the Cubs a 7-6 lead, and his RBI single in the 10th put them on top again after two scoreless innings from rookie Keegan Thompson, who struck out five of seven batters.
But Nomar Mazar tied it with a one-out, RBI single off closer Craig Kimbrel. After pinch runner JaCoby Jones stole second with two outs, Harold Castro singled him home for the walk-off win.
Starter Trevor Williams and Alec Mills were charged with six combined runs in 3? innings, forcing Ross to use six more relievers. Ross said the Tigers hitters weren’t “fooled by much” of Williams’ stuff, which led to the early exit.
Willliams said he tried to stay in when Ross yanked him after two innings.
“We talked. I’m sure we’ll have conversations again (Sunday),” Williams said.
With the return of Ian Happ from the injured list Saturday, the Cubs finally have all their key offensive pieces for the first time in a while. Happ was injured in an outfield collision with Nico Hoerner on May 2 in Cincinnati. Ross inserted Happ in the No. 6 hole while leaving Joc Pederson in the leadoff spot.
Pederson tripled to lead off the game for his 12th hit in 19 at-bats, and despite going hitless his final four plate appearances figures to stick at the top spot while the .157-hitting Happ searches for consistency.
“I guess it’s who is swinging the bat best,” Ross said of the leadoff spot. “So for me, easing Happer back into it makes some sense, but Joc looks good at the top right now, and we’ll ride that.”
Bryant, who homered Friday to lead the Cubs past the Tigers, came into the day leading the majors with a .667 slugging percentage. He scored in his first three at-bats Saturday after coaxing a walk and reaching on a pair of infield hits.
Ross said Bryant’s confidence has returned full force following a disappointing 2020 performance.
“When you’ve had the type of success,” Ross said before pausing. “We keep talking like this is some anomaly. He’s a former MVP. Let’s give the guy some credit. … The guy has been a really good baseball player for a really long time. It’s no surprise.”
Duffy’s hot bat has led to Bryant starting more games in the outfield, which only can help his trade value if the Cubs don’t intend to re-sign him. It also has helped Duffy in a comeback season.
“Playing sporadically has its challenges,” Duffy said. “There’s a reason they call it ‘midseason form.’ The more you do something, your brain just, the decisions become crisper.”
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