Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was named an All-Star for the second time Saturday and will represent the Cubs on July 14 in Philadelphia.
Despite a payroll approaching $230 million, he’ll be the only Cubs player at the event.
After a frenetic and exhausting first half of the season, the Cubs are in position to make the playoffs for the second straight year. But they are not a series away from catching the Brewers, who entered Saturday with a six-game lead in the National League Central, nor do they look like a challenger to the Dodgers.
They look like a team with one All-Star.
None of the highly paid infielders Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson had strong All-Star cases. Those three are signed through at least 2029; and Bregman and Swanson are past 30 and Hoerner will hit 30 next year. Other than Crow-Armstrong, the outfield has gotten production from Seiya Suzuki (129 OPS-plus) and Ian Happ (117 OPS-plus), though not on an All-Star level.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff has been rocked by injuries, and the trade for Edward Cabrera hasn’t worked out due to Cabrera’s health and ineffectiveness when he’s been on the mound.
At least things have gone better for Crow-Armstrong. His 5.1 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference) led all NL position players and he’s generally embraced being one of the faces of baseball.
Manager Craig Counsell said Crow-Armstrong is an “entertainer” who is wired for that role.
“In Pete’s case, what’s fun to watch is there’s something in every part of the game that he is able to do,” Counsell said.“He’s not some huge person that does it, he’s a pretty normal-size person that can do it. That’s also creates a connection with fans.”
Another arm enters
The Cubs signed righthanded pitcher Jake Woodford to a one-year contract. Righty Bryse Wilson was designated for assignment.
Woodford, 29, made 16 appearances for the Brewers earlier this year. He’s also pitched for the Cardinals, White Sox, Pirates and Diamondbacks.
“We’re trying to create some availability and make sure that, regardless of what happens in a game, we’re ready for the next game,” Counsell said.
Wilson pitched twice for the Cubs. On Friday, he contributed by saving the bullpen during the 17-1 rout, throwing 3 1/3 innings. But he allowed seven runs in the process, raising his ERA to 6.52 and sacrificing his stats to help the team.
“It’s never a good feeling, frankly, and it’s the bad things about games like that,” Counsell said. “The worst thing about games like that is that.”
Shaw update
Infielder/outfielder Matt Shaw (left hand sprain) will not be back until after the All-Star break. Counsell said Shaw is still in a testing and resting phase
The next evaluation for Shaw will be in the middle of this week. Counsell said Shaw has not regressed.
“We’re still optimistic,” Counsell said. “This means he will not be active immediately after the All-Star break but we’re still hopeful that very soon after the break he’s active.”