The 2021 season will go down as one of the most frustrating and disappointing Cubs seasons, even though this team didn’t have a ton of expectations to begin with. A solid start to the season gave everyone hope, but things came crashing down in a hurry.
A complete fire sale at the Trade Deadline sent former Cubs players all over the league, and Jed Hoyer did his best to get each player into a favorable situation. This also means that there will be plenty of former Cubs stars appearing in the MLB Playoffs when they begin this week.
It will be strange, and a little bit sad, to see some of the iconic players appearing in a different uniform, but they should be cheered. Maybe, just maybe, one of them will be lucky enough to win another World Series.
Bryant Ready to Lead the Giants
Kris Bryant was given the best deal by Hoyer and the Cubs when he was sent to the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco has been the best team in baseball all season long, but they could end up in a tie with the Dodgers for the NL West title.
The Giants will be in the NL Playoff field in one way or another, and it’s hard not to root for Bryant to lead his team all the way. Bryant was under appreciated during his time in Chicago, but watching him star for another team might make people realize just how good he really is.
San Francisco is also an easy team to root for, and it would be quite the story if Bryant finds himself making a World Series clinching play yet again.
Rizzo/Schwarber Meeting Up?
The New York Yankees were buried in the standings until Anthony Rizzo got there in July, and he has provided that franchise with everything he did in Chicago. The stats still aren’t great for Rizzo, but it’s the intangibles that set him apart.
Kyle Schwarber began the 2021 season with the Washington Nationals, but the Boston Red Sox acquired him at the Trade Deadline. Schwarber is having the best season of his career, and his prodigious power could once again be on display in the playoffs.
There is a chance that both Rizzo and Schwarber will meet up in the AL Wild Card Game, but there is still plenty that needs to be decided. If that happens, hopefully each player hits a big home run for his team.
Lester Won’t Get Much Love
Jon Lester is one of the best pitchers in the history of the franchise, and he always seemed to get even better when the postseason began. With that in mind, the St. Louis Cardinals went out and traded for him at the Trade Deadline.
The Cardinals will have to find a way to get past the second place team from the NL West in the Wild Card Game, and Lester isn’t likely to appear in that game. If St. Louis does advance, don’t expect many Cubs fans to back him, regardless of how great he was in Chicago.
Rooting for the Cardinals, or the White Sox is something that Cubs fans won’t be doing much of this postseason. The White Sox have a bullpen full of former Cubs arms as well, but there won’t be many Northside fans jumping on the Southside bandwagon for the postseason.
