Ross says goal for Cubs is still to win
Before Saturday's game, Cubs manager David Ross talked about how he's trying not to change the focus of the players, even as the team has shifted into rebuilding mode.
"We're in the major leagues, this is not a place to develop," Ross said. "This is a place to win baseball games and go out and compete. That's my focus here. We're here to win baseball games, we're going to teach winning.
"There will be some developments moves within that I think at times. But the main focus for us is winning today's game."
Since the flurry of trades, the Cubs have gone 2-6, but four of those losses have been by 1 or 2 runs.
"I want these guys to continue to go out and compete," Ross said. "I think we communicate well with everybody. I think guys know where they stand. We try to give everybody a big picture look and also keep the focus on competing on a daily basis and finding their routine.
"You don't want anybody to back off, you want everybody to go out and compete to the best of their ability and we communicate that. They've done a nice job of going out and staying in routine and giving us a chance to win. We try to keep that with everybody, whether it's position players, pitchers, making sure we're focused on the win that day."
Roster keeps growing:
Greg Deichmann became the 57th player used by the Cubs this year, a franchise record. The previous mark of 56 was set in 2013, and the Cubs might not be done looking at new players this season.
Deichmann was the 11th player to make his major league debut with the Cubs this season. The Cubs had 13 debuts in 2012.
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