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Back in spring training, Craig Counsell was proactive and firm. He sat down with Mike Tauchman right away to tell him he would be on the team, because Counsell rightly saw the immense value of Tauchman's offensive stability and defensive versatility. A high-OBP left-handed hitter who can acquit himself at all three outfield spots when the need arises, Tauchman was a perfect fit for the Cubs early in the season.
While he was sidelined by a groin strain in June and July, though, the ground shifted. Firstly, it's become increasingly clear that the team itself understands the fact that Seiya Suzuki needs to be an everyday DH. That created some opportunity for Tauchman earlier in the year, but with the team trying hard to give a long runway to Pete Crow-Armstrong and evaluate him for a future role, it's ultimately squeezed him. With Crow-Armstrong in center and Michael Busch firmly established at first base, Cody Bellinger has taken over in right field. For as long as Busch, Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Suzuki and Bellinger are healthy, it's clear that Counsell sees no room in the lineup for Tauchman.
Entering Wednesday night's game, Tauchman has only 16 plate appearances in August. He last started on Aug. 7, and even pinch-hit opportunities have been scarce. The player Counsell was so excited to install as a heavily used rotational piece is now an afterthought at the far end of the bench.
Some of this is planned obsolescence, of course. The team hoped Crow-Armstrong and Busch would assert themselves, and if they did, it was bound to make it tough to find playing time in the outfield and DH spots. Still, it's surprising, not least because the Cubs could have traded Tauchman to a contender at last month's deadline, giving him a chance to play a role like this on a team with a chance to win a World Series--and picking up some minor prospect in the exchange. If they were going to keep Tauchman, it seemed to make sense to create at least a modicum of playing time for him down the stretch, so they can make a more informed decision about retaining him on an arbitration-determined salary for next season. By stashing him as deep in the dugout as they have, they're missing that opportunity, after letting the chance to get even a fringe prospect in return for him slide by the boards.
Injuries, sustained failure from Crow-Armstrong, or an unexpected opt-out by Bellinger could restore Tauchman's relevance going into 2025. Even if Crow-Armstrong flames out, the team would probably next hand off center field to Kevin Alcántara, but having Tauchman as a platoon partner and cushion for the young player could come in handy. A Bellinger departure would open up a lot of left-handed playing time. That makes it reasonable to keep Tauchman, but then, the team also has to make room for Owen Caissie on the 40-man roster come November, and if Caissie turns out to be a capable regular, he's likely to get there by the middle of next season. In other words, in even the rosiest scenario for Tauchman, he probably spends another first half floating around to find playing time, and then gets marginalized again next June or July.
In that case, he would no longer have any trade value, so the Cubs have missed their penultimate chance to move him. Their last one will come this winter, by which time they surely hope to have a clearer idea of how Crow-Armstrong, Bellinger, Suzuki, Happ, Busch, Caissie, Alcántara, and Moisés Ballesteros can help them in 2025. What they probably won't have, though, is much good intel on what Tauchman can offer them. It's hard to demonstrate positive or negative future value with one's arms folded over the dugout railing.
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