Why are these guys still around?

The Cubs appear to be doing one last favor for a couple of guys who should already be gone.

Why are these guys still around?

Post trade deadline, the Cubs made a couple of moves that opened up, or left open, playing time for some of their younger players. David Bote was mercifully optioned to Iowa, where he can be dumb and unproductive out of our sight, and they activated washed up shortstop Andrelton Simmons so they could designate him for assignment. Simmons was a terrible signing that somehow got worse when he actually tried to play. The Cubs no doubt signed him post lockout thinking that he’d be one of the players they flipped in July to a contending team in need of…whatever it is they thought he would provide. Just like the ill-fated signing of Jonathan Villar it ended up just being a waste of everybody’s time. One of them probably still has some of his meal money left, and I’ll bet it’s not Jonathan.

Bote was shipped out to make room on the infield for the return of tiny little Nick Madrigal and newly acquired Zach McKinstry. McKinstry was one for 14 (.091 average) in limited time with the Dodgers this year. So far with the Cubs he’s 0 for 14 bringing his batting average to .040. I didn’t even know it went that low.

But why have the Cubs only opened time for those two? What about the outfielders at Iowa who thought they were going to get at bats when Ian Happ was foisted on some unsuspecting contender? I’m not sure Narciso Crook really needs to keep OPS’ing .904 at Iowa. It’s time to give him some run in the big leagues. And “My name is Jackson. Don’t call me Clint, anybody calls me Clint and I’ll kill you,” Frazier has cooled off (again) after a hot stretch, but it’s time to bring him up and let him flop for one final time. Seems only fair.

Where would the Cubs find two more roster spots? Well, considering their solution to more time at third base for the .040 Flash is to play Patrick Wisdom at first base more often, it seems like the overdue end to the Frank Schwindel Era is upon us.

And, what are they trying to prove with Rafael Ortega still playing center? What exactly is the point of pretending to evaluate young players for the future if you can’t help yourself from starting a 31 year old with a sterling .239 average, and who is hitting .185/.265/.284 over the last month?

I have a theory as to why the Cubs have not done the inevitable to Frank and Rafael and honestly, it’s just so Cub that it has to be true.