Quest for Chi-tober: What Cubs, White Sox need to make playoffs

Smoky skies are going to clear up, eventually. So let's great ready for the second half of baseball season.

There's every reason to put on a happy face, thanks to the possibility of both the Cubs and White Sox reaching the postseason — something that's happened just three times in 125 years. And yes, that sounds remarkably pathetic when written in a sentence.

The White Sox will spend the weekend in Toronto, which can close the roof of whatever SkyDome is called now and keep the smoke out. The Cubs will start with a pair of AL Central opponents, Minnesota and Detroit. Had there been a game at Wrigley Field on Thursday, it probably would have been postponed due to air quality.

So what will it take to create a true Chi-tober, where both sides of town are hosting playoff games? The paths are actually pretty similar, so let's run it down:

Pen pals

The top of the shopping list for both teams is a bullpen arm. There have been success stories but not enough depth.

The Cubs’ issues start with the lack of productions from their two biggest swings of the offseason, Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey. Maton should wrap up his second IL stint soon, having made a rehab appearance in Triple-A before the break. It's unclear if Harvey (stress reaction/shoulder) will be back this season.

With Harvey and Daniel Palencia both on the injured list, the Cubs lack power arms in the bullpen. Finding some velocity in a trade would be a good place to start, though Palencia (right elbow strain) could return in a couple weeks.

Trent Thornton, Jacob Webb and Ryan Rolison carried the Cubs relievers for most of the first half. The team should at least prepare for injuries or fatigue from those three.

The White Sox are in a different situation, because they have two potential additions already in the minors. Shane Smith missed all of May and June on the injured list, returning to Triple-A Charlotte last Sunday with a four-inning stint. The Sox' Opening Day starter, Smith could help in relief or the rotation if he can find his 2025 form.

Then there's Tanner McDougal, also just back from the injured list. He was a starter early in the year, has been throwing single-inning stints this month. The walks are a little high, but he throws 98 mph and averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors. If McDougal stays healthy he should be a lock to make his major-league debut in the second half, with potential to be a key figure down the stretch.

Hit parade

The offensive outlook for the Cubs seems pretty basic: Avoid the monster, teamwide hitting slump this team has fallen into more than once.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has been the best player in MLB since May 30, but the Cubs need contributions from everyone to succeed in the second half.

Alex Bregman finished with home runs in consecutive games last weekend, so he'll be in the spotlight. But the slumps were a group effort, with Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson deserving plenty of blame. The Cubs seem ready to make Michael Conforto, who has the second-highest OPS on the team, an everyday player, so maybe that will help.

The White Sox survived six weeks without Munetaka Murakami, now their offense should be ready to roll, in theory, once he gets his timing back.

One potential question mark is what will the Sox do if outfielders Austin Hays or Everson Pereira get healthy? Would they give either of those two a shot and send Braden Montgomery back to the minors? The Sox aren't likely to cut ties with Randal Grichuk, or remove Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters as starting outfielders.

Starting over

There's been speculation the White Sox might try to utilize their farm system depth to add a starting pitcher before the deadline. It won't be easy to do, but adding a veteran could put less pressure on rookie Noah Schultz, who has been up and down.

The X-factor for the White Sox all season has been Sean Burke. He found a groove in his final five starts and caught teammate Davis Martin for the starting pitcher ERA lead. Martin admitted before the break he might be a little worn down and could benefit from the all-star break. The Tex-Mass combo is still the heart of the Sox clubhouse, and getting both clicking is vital.

The Cubs might be OK on starting pitching. Jameson Taillon should be back in the rotation now, Edward Cabrera may be back in three weeks. Matthew Boyd showed signs of getting on track, so it's possible he'll be fresh for the second half after two trips to the IL.

Final analysis

This Cubs team seems designed to be pretty good. Great might be out of reach, but keeping their current spot as the top wild card is a reachable goal.

Coming off three straight 100-loss seasons, the White Sox have that naivety of a team too young to feel any pressure to win. The AL Central title, even a slot in the ALCS, should be the goal. In a weak American League, why not the Sox?

As a final word, this has a chance to be a fun few months for Chicago baseball fans. Don't waste negative energy rooting for one side to fail. When one team succeeds, it pushes the other to do well.

Cheering for both teams can be trending through the fall.