Castro's Struggles Raise Questions About Future in Chicago

Starlin Castro is having one of those years. The young phenom for the Chicago Cubs has seen his stats plummet and seems to have a disconnect with the coaching staff. In a particularly rough week for the two-time All-Star, Castro was benched after a fielding error in the Cubs' nationally-televised game against the Washington Nationals and was then demoted to eighth in the lineup. As you could imagine, he doesn't like it.

The game came so easy to Castro in his first three seasons that "struggling" was a word that was rarely attached to his name. Now, it's the word that has defined his 2013 campaign. His batting average is at .237 after hitting .300+ in his first two seasons and he's not even making much contact. Castro has already whiffed 108 times which is a career-high. His previous season high was last year's mark of 100, but he's already surpassed that and still has 34 games remaining.

Much has been made about why Castro has fallen off. The "too many voices" theory has been used often and Castro has insisted that he will stop listening to so many people. He is in the midst of a major slump at the moment and the stats show that the once-aggressive Castro is taking more pitches than ever before, but it hasn't translated to more walks. He is 24th in the National League in pitches seen at 3.90 and that's the highest of his career. However, he has drawn just 21 walks and has a measly on base percentage of .273.

Whatever the reason is for Castro's struggles they must be solved soon. Chicago is in the midst of a major rebuilding project and Castro is the focal point of it all. With Alfonso Soriano gone, Castro is now the longest tenured position player on the Cubs' roster. He was so good his first three years that it's easy to forget that this is a 23-year-old kid who is being counted on to produce at an All-Star level while leading a young, talented bunch as they try to rebuild in the big city of Chicago. Not exactly an easy assignment.

Difficult or not, this is the way it is for Castro. He has been handed the keys to the team. What will he do with them? Will he turn it around and get back to being the player he was while developing into the leader Chicago needs? Or will he continue to struggle and not see eye-to-eye with management? If it's the latter then his days on the North Side may be numbered.

Theo Epstein is a mastermind at building championship ball clubs. In Chicago, Castro is the main piece to the puzzle. Several young players have shown flashes of promise this season and the Cubs boast a solid farm system. The future is bright in Chicago, but if Castro can't work out his troubles then it's noticeably dimmer. This year is basically lost for him, but perhaps he can break out of his funk and finish strong.

Whether he does or not, the focus is already on 2014. Which brings up an old Cubs fans' hopeful saying; wait til next year.