Column: Small signs of hope emerging at the end of a lost season for the Chicago Cubs

As the 2022 season crawls to a close, the Chicago Cubs believe they’re better off now than they were one year ago and are cautiously optimistic they won’t be in the same position next September.

“Last summer was rough on everybody,” Chairman Tom Ricketts said last week. “Every fan, including myself, that was a tough summer. We came off six years with five playoff appearances, the best stretch in team history. But it was time to make changes, and I give (Cubs President) Jed (Hoyer) credit for making those changes.

“It is about building the next winning team, not about what happened in the past.”

Whether the Cubs are closer to that goal is debatable. But they do seem to have four quality young starting pitchers for 2023 in Justin Steele, Keegan Thompson, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski, which theoretically means they can spend on other areas of need this offseason.

It’s not the season Cubs fans hoped for, but the outlook seems a little brighter with every step forward by one of the kid pitchers.

“I really feel in a season like this,” Hoyer said recently, “where we struggled early and have been out of the pennant race, that’s been a huge part of our focus, finding guys that step up and really can be part of our future.”

[ [Don’t miss] 4 of the Chicago Cubs’ top pitching prospects are at High-A South Bend. Here’s a look at the next wave of arms. ]

Wesneski no doubt is part of that future. The only question is when.

He threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday in his first major-league start and has a 2.30 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 15⅔ innings over three outings since being called up from Triple-A Iowa.

Before Sunday’s series finale against the Rockies, manager David Ross said Wesneski has shown he can compete for a starting job but added it’s too soon to predict the Cubs’ plans for next year.

“It will kind of entail what the offseason acquisitions are, what roles we need to fill,” Ross said. “If we go out and get three front-line starters, maybe he goes to the bullpen or maybe he’s Triple A (starting) depth. There are a lot of guys you can throw in his category.

“It is a small sample size. We do the alarm every time we say (that), the small sample police: Woo! Woo!. But he’s definitely proven he’s a big-league-caliber pitcher and works that way.

“His routine is that way, he talks that way and he’s performed that way. Everything would point to him having a chance to be on the team. Defining the roles at this point would be silly of me.”

Wesneski was unavailable to talk Sunday morning, citing an interview with Marquee Sports Network, which is co-owned by Ricketts and the Cubs. At least he knows who signs his checks.

It wouldn’t be silly of me to speculate one of the five rotation spots next season is Wesneski’s to lose, even with the small sample size. (Woo! Woo!) I’m not really buying the idea the Cubs will be signing checks this winter for three front-line starters, as Ross suggested was a possibility. I’m not sure Ross thinks that either, since it probably would cost between $200 million and $300 million for three top free-agent starters.

[ [Don’t miss] Adbert Alzolay is set to join the Chicago Cubs bullpen this weekend — perhaps providing a glimpse of his 2023 role ]

The only two veteran starters signed through next year are Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks. Drew Smyly, who has a mutual option, is a good bet to return after a strong season.

Signing one front-line starter and adding two of the four young pitchers to the rotation seems like a better bet because Hoyer needs to spend on the offense. Ricketts said last week the Cubs will spend aggressively this offseason, repeating his well-worn mantra that every available dime goes back into the team.

“You guys know how we do it,” he said, referring to the media. “We figure out our projections. We figure out what it costs to put on games and to pay people to run the organization and everything else. And everything left goes to baseball ops. Jed has the resources to add people. If he feels like it’s the right person and the right time, he has 100% support from me. And we’ll leave it to him.”

Chicago Tribune Sports

Weekdays

A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.

Hoyer acquired Wesneski from the New York Yankees for reliever Scott Effross before this year’s trade deadline in what could be a steal. It’s hard to imagine Wesneski would not be penciled into the 2023 rotation, but you never know.

[ [Don’t miss] Column: It has been ‘a bummer’ of a season for Kris Bryant and many others from the 2016 champion Chicago Cubs ]

Thompson, meanwhile, has been rehabbing lower back tightness at Triple-A Iowa and said Sunday at Wrigley he hopes to get back this season for a few starts or bullpen appearances. Ross said Thompson would be back in the rotation soon but didn’t know when.

The Cubs have one more homestand, then end the season with three games in Cincinnati. Then the focus can truly turn to next year.

After a 91-loss season in 2021, the Cubs are on pace for 93 losses after Sunday’s 4-3 defeat against the Rockies. Former Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant isn’t sure if his former team is better off now than it was when it dealt him nearly 14 months ago.

“I haven’t paid too much attention,” Bryant admitted. “But it looks like here (in Colorado), where they’re giving a lot of young guys chances. It seems like they’re doing the same, and I think that’s very beneficial in the long run for both teams. It will definitely be interesting to watch.”

We’ll have to wait and see on that prediction.

The small sample police are still on patrol. Woo! Woo!