Cubs Lose Frustrating Finale In Florida

The Cubs lost another winnable game on Thursday. Justin Steele was excellent, pitching 6 innings, giving up 3 soft hits, striking out 5, and walking 1.

He handed the bullpen a 2-0 lead, but as has been the case for the last 6+ weeks, the Cubs gave the game away. Recently, I've heard from Superfans that this team has lost their passion. Cody Bellinger’s home run on Wednesday was a game-changer, but the team lacked energy. To understand the root of the problem, I delved into the voices of Cubs fans to gauge their thoughts on what’s wrong with the 2024 Cubs.

Player Performance

High Salaries, Low Performance: Cubs Players Under Scrutiny

Cubs fans are increasingly frustrated with the underperformance of high-paid players, noting a lack of effort and poor contact at the plate. One fan vented, "A lot of guys getting paid a lot of money to underperform and not care." The absence of a powerful feared hitter in the lineup is another sore spot, with comments highlighting the team's need for a significant power bat.

"We desperately need a feared power bat in the lineup," one fan lamented. These performance issues contribute to the broader dissatisfaction with the team's current trajectory and performance

Management Criticism

Fans are frustrated with Craig Counsell's high salary and Jed Hoyer's roster construction.

The decision to make Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in baseball has left many fans scratching their heads, especially given the lackluster performance of the team. Comments online reflect a growing discontent, with one fan stating, "I don’t understand making him the highest-paid manager in baseball, and then doing next to nothing in the offseason with our roster." This sentiment is echoed by others who feel that the real issue lies with Jed Hoyer's roster decisions rather than the former manager. One particularly pointed comment reads, "It’s wild Jed convinced everyone that the guy who was carried off the field after game 7 was the problem instead of Jed’s roster construction." The call for better management and strategic decisions is loud and clear among the Cubs faithful.

Offensive and Bullpen Struggles

Offensive inconsistency and bullpen issues are major fan concerns.

Fans are exasperated by the Cubs' offensive struggles and the bullpen's unreliability. The offense's inability to score more than four runs in most June games has been a significant frustration point. "This offense has failed to score more than 4 runs in 8 of 11 June games," a fan pointed out. Additionally, the bullpen has been described as a disaster, contributing to the team's overall struggles. "The offense and bullpen continue to battle to see who is more useless," one comment read.

These combined issues have left fans feeling hopeless about the current season.