WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 03: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Boston Red Sox at Nationals Park on October 03, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs are in a transition right now. Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant were all players that helped them win the World Series in 2016 but the Cubs traded them away at the 2021 trade deadline. They also sent Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin packing as well who were all good for them leading up to that point.
In their absence, older rookies like Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom took over and joined Willson Contreras on the offensive side of things. The hope is that Nick Madrigal, Nico Hoerner, and Brennan Davis can join in full-time and make an impact as well.