The Cubs and Brewers just wrapped up basically an identical game to ours. Taillon turned in a brilliant start, though not as overpowering as Skenes obviously, but the Brewers eeked out one more run and took the game.
Offense is down across the sport, but that's still no excuse for how much of a cliff this lineup falls off in the bottom half.
Unless things go totally sideways, not adding would be disastrous. I think we're basically at the point where two bats are needed, or just extreme aggression to get the best player on the market in Robert. If you trade for somebody like Pham or even Winker, and then make a comment about Suwinski starting to turn a corner, it just plain and simple is not enough.
Zooming out, you have to really feel like we need the rubber match tomorrow, not just to push back a little in the season series (now 5-3 in the Cardinals favor), but also to have the wind at your back for the final stretch before the deadline. Arizona is not going to be easy as they seem to be hitting their stride and it seems like we'll face Gallen and Pfaadt. Houston is a little bit more beatable, so if we can secure a 4-2 start to the break, it will feel like a .500 road trip is perfectly fine.
These things can turn on almost a day by day basis at this point in the season. I think only a straight losing streak would make us fully punt on things, but I still lack confidence that Cherington will do what needs to be done. I highly doubt a trade is happening before the end of the weekend at the earliest, and more likely Monday or Tuesday.
Getting Jazz for CF and then 1 more bat would change the dynamic of the lineup. Even grabbing Pham on the cheap, who is basically just a league average, batting average only guy who isn't that great in the field, would complement that acquisition nicely:
CF Chisholm
LF Reynolds
SS Cruz
2B Gonzales
1B Tellez
DH Cutch
RF Pham/Suwinski
C Bart
3B Hayes
Something along those lines. Winker is obviously more appealing than Pham, but Pham should practically be free to acquire because he's not really adding anything but a solid average.