They lit up the sky with eight homers on Independence Day and reminded the division they still had teeth. But just days later, that firepower fizzled, and what emerged instead was a growing concern that was no longer ignorable. The Chicago Cubs, once steady atop the NL Central, now find themselves slipping—and the flaws aren’t just whispers anymore. The manager stepped up with a rare dose of honesty that peeled back the layers of a problem fans have seen building for weeks.

When a division lead begins to shrink, there is usually more than just bad luck to blame. And Craig Counsell was not afraid to point the finger at one glaring issue. The Cubs have hit a wall against left-handed pitching, and the manager made it crystal clear. “We have faced some very good left-handed pitching lately,” Counsell admitted. “And we have not swung the bats as well, just against left-handed pitching.” That confession struck a chord, specifically, after another quiet series at the plate.

The timing of Counsell’s honesty is not random. The Cubs just dropped a pivotal series to the Astros, getting blanked 2-0 in the finale. In that game, the team missed their chance to strike after chasing lefty Framber Valdez in the seventh, only to fizzle out with three straight outs. It was not just related to who the team faced; it was how consistently the Cubs failed to convert. In a stretch where they went 12-13 over 26 games, those missed windows matter.

To make things worse, some vital hitters who once thrived against lefties are now cooling off. “Ian got off to a great start… he’s cooled off a bit,” Counsell said. “Kyle as well.” The Cubs have leaned largely on lefty mashers like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch against right-handers; however, that lopsided power is establishing a dangerous imbalance.

This is not just a minor blip. With the Brewers and Cardinals breathing down their necks in the NL Central, the Cubs know they are running out of wiggle room. Counsell’s admission is not just a postgame statement—it is a signal. The flaws are real, the pressure is on, and now it is up to the Cubs’ bats to react before their grip on the division slips any further.

As Counsell’s admission lays bare a pressing need to counter left-handed pitching, the urgency has now extended beyond lineup adjustments and deep into the trade deadline approach.

Cubs could flip the script with a vital trade deadline splash

The Cubs could be rolling through July with momentum—a team-record eight homers on July 4 proved that. However, the management is not letting the fireworks distract from what is missing. Despite a standout showing from Colin Rea on Independence Day, there is an internal thought that the Cubs need more firepower on the field. Reports say that the Cubs have been actively engaging with the Pirates in trade discussions for Mitch Keller and David Bednar—a vital, intra-division move that could swing the balance in October.

Keller has consistency, not flash. His 3.64 ERA across 18 starts demonstrates his reliability, even though his tough-luck 3-10 record reflects the Pirates’ poor run support more than his own performance. And, Bednar would be a playoff-tested hammer in the bullpen. The Cubs’ relievers have been solid lately; however, the postseason does not reward “solid”—it asks for lockdown arms. With Daniel Palencia showing promise but limited in experience, Bednar’s back-to-back All-Star nods and 58 combined saves since 2022 make him an ideal reinforcement. 

However, there is a catch: the two pitchers are under team control, and the Pirates could hesitate to help a division rival climb higher. Still, if the Cubs outbid the market and the team just might—this double swoop could be the deadline’s biggest headline. It is the kind of gamble that could erase current shortcomings and give the team the balance it has been missing.

The Cubs could have exposed a major flaw; however, they are not standing still. With Craig Counsell’s candid admission and management trade buzz heating up, the Cubs are clearly in fix-it mode. Whether through lineup tweaks or deadline deals, the team is determined to address its spiraling challenge head-on.

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