Good luck finding a Cubs player, fan or team official who will consider the 2019 season a success if it falls short of the playoffs.
But at least one significant consolation prize might be found in some of the unlikely 2020 pieces discovered through some of the failures last winter to adequately address bullpen needs and through some of the late-season injuries.
“If the season ends today I think you look towards next year with some names that probably weren’t going to be there,” team elder Jon Lester pointed out a few days ago. “You’ve got Rowan Wick stepping up this year, pitching a lot of high-leverage innings for us.