It certainly isn’t time to sound the alarms yet for the Chicago Cubs, but it would certainly be fair to start worrying about how the team will fare down the stretch.

Given how they handled the MLB trade deadline, there is a lot of skepticism about whether or not they did enough to upgrade their roster.

Thus far, the answer would be no.

Entering play on Aug. 9, the Cubs find themselves five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central race.

David Banks-Imagn Images

The runaway favorites in the preseason for the division crown, an expanding lead entering the middle of August is what many predictions and projections had Chicago doing, not chasing down a rival.

Their pitching staff, namely the starting rotation, is going to be under the microscope for the duration of the season.

Acquiring Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals, who went on the injured list after making it through only two innings of his debut with the team, as the only starting pitching addition was a massive risk.

It is one that is backfiring currently, leaving the Cubs in a similar position they were entering the trade deadline, awaiting the returns of Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.

David Banks-Imagn Images

All eyes will be on the rotation down the stretch, but Chicago could take some of the attention away if their offense got back to the mashing ways they exhibited earlier in the year.

For the last month, the Cubs have been playing under .500 baseball in large part because two of their key contributors, right fielder Kyle Tucker and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, have gone ice cold.

As shared by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, the dynamic duo has recorded a single home run and stolen base each since July 8, leaving a lot to be desired production wise. Without those two producing in the middle of the Chicago lineup, the team’s overall production has slipped.

It has allowed the Brewers to make a move up the standings, and to climb back into the race, it is imperative that Tucker and Suzuki get hot again.

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There were points this year that the Cubs looked like arguably the best team in baseball.

Offense is the name of the game in Chicago, and if they don’t get back to bludgeoning teams at the plate, it is going to be difficult for them to overcome the deficit they are currently facing in the division.

For that to happen, they need Tucker and Suzuki to break out of their slump and start producing runs again.

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