Cubs Flaws Already Being Exposed in 2013

Eighteen games are in the books for the Chicago Cubs, who find themselves at a disappointing 5-13.  They stand six games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds and have now lost four in a row.

Cubs fans have much to criticize, from the manager to the offense.  Manager Dale Sveum has even threatened to demote Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, whom are seen by many as the "future" of the Cubs.

Here we shine the light on the (already quite exposed) flaws in the 2013 Chicago Cubs.

Dale Sveum

Cubs manager Dale Sveum has already stated that he has some concerns in regards to his job security.

Rightfully so.

Sveum, in his second season as manager of the Cubs, has compiled a 66-114 record with the team. 

As mentioned, Sveum created some controversy recently, suggesting the option that first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro be demoted to the minor leagues.

Both players are seen as the core of the future, and suggesting that they be sent to the minors will only put additional pressure on the two young stars. 

The Defense of Starlin Castro

Starlin Castro's defense has been, well.... offensive. 

Castro already has four errors in 18 games, enough for manager Dale Sveum to suggest Castro may need some time in the minors to fine-tune his game (but you already knew that).

The defensive struggles of the young shortstop are far from news. Castro led the majors in errors 2011 with 29, and at the rate he has gone this season he is on track to commit 36.  Sveum also criticized Castro's awareness on defense. 

The manager even went as far as benching Castro in 2011 for not paying attention and being mentally aware at short.

...... and the Rest of the Cubs Defense

The Cubs have already committed 17 errors in 2013, second only to the Washington Nationals who have 18.  (Seven of the Nationals errors have come from Ian Desmond alone.)

The team committed six errors alone in their series at Milwaukee this past weekend, which manager Dale Sveum described as "rookie ball mistakes."  They also gave up eight unearned runs... out of 14 runs allowed.

The Weakness of the Cubs Bullpen

Overall, the Cubs starting rotation has performed well through the start of the season.

The Cubs have the fourth-lowest earned run average of any rotation in the majors at an impressive 3.11.

However, the bullpen has been far from as impressive, with a 4.86 ERA and multiple blown saves. The Cubs closer role has been a merry-go-round of pitchers, including Carlos Marmol, Kyuji Fujikawa and Shawn Camp. Which brings us to the next topic. 

.... Especially the Closing Pitchers

As mentioned, the closer situation is about as clear as mud in a Louisiana wetland. Shawn Camp, Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol all have blown saves to their credit (although a blown save is not an officially recognized statistic).

They also signed Kevin Gregg to a minor league deal, and he may even see some time at the closer role.

Luckily for their closers, they don't have many games to save.

A Major Lack of Offense

The Cubs offense is worst in the majors in runs scored with runners in scoring position with only 30. Compare that to the 87 runs scored by the Reds with runners in scoring position. Even more pitiful, the Cubs have only scored nine runs with a runner on third and less than two outs. (The Reds have scored 31).

The team is hitting .230 overall, good for 27th in the majors.