It was likely that any moves the Chicago Cubs were planning to make for the trade deadline were going to be based around adding an extra arm to the pitching staff. The recent offensive struggles are a cause for concern but the bats will presumably rebound at some point. It’s been pretty bad lately but no one could have expected what Cole Hamels was going to do in what could have been his last appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies.

One exec on Cole Hamels’ start tomorrow: “He’s pitched in playoffs & WS. But for that front office this may be biggest start he’s ever had”

Advertisement

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 24, 2015

By now, you’ve read the headlines and know that the 50-year streak of avoiding no-hits the Cubs had is now over. It was a dismal performance by the whole team. After a rough loss in extra innings the day before, you would expect the Cubs to avenge their loss and go crazy with the bats. The Cubs aren’t playing the powerhouse Phillies of the late 2000s and early 2010s, these are the MLB-worst Phillies of 2015. The series has been disappointing to say the least.

Getting no-hit is always surprising but this didn’t come out of left field if you consider how badly the Cubs offense has been in July. The trade rumors involving the Cubs have been centered around pitching, which has been more or less solid for the Cubs this season, however, adding another pitcher doesn’t solve the Cubs’ conundrum of failing to drive in runs.

The Cubs didn’t have any luck against Hamels but this is more indicative of how bad the Cubs’ offense is rather than how great Hamels was. It was only one game and usually not a real cause for concern for teams, but this is against the same pitcher who couldn’t finish four innings in his last two starts. This is not to diminish Hamels’ great accomplishment, but to highlight the more pressing need of offensive help for the Cubs down the stretch.

Hamels is an ace like any other that the Cubs will face this year, next year, and beyond. The Cubs will most likely face better pitchers in the playoffs who will know how to pitch to them. The Cubs need to turn their attention to acquiring a solid bat or two to their line-up at the trade deadline. It will not only help them get more wins during the regular season but it will make them a more dangerous team come playoff time. Adding a pitcher is not as big of a priority now that the offense has hit rock bottom. A back-end pitcher won’t matter in a one-game playoff, but another hitter can make a world of a difference.