The Cubs' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, but manager Joe Maddon remains confident not only in his team, but in his future with the franchise.
Maddon went on a Chicago radio station Wednesday and addressed the team's seven-game losing streak, including getting swept in four games by the Cardinals at Wrigley Field over the weekend.
"It's frustrating. I mean, you put a couple more runs on the board and all of a sudden we're sitting pretty," Maddon said on 670 The Score. "But we're not. That's the situation we're in."
Fangraphs currently projects the Cubs' postseason chances at 0.1 percent. If Chicago does miss the playoffs, it'll be the first time since 2014 the Cubs won't be playing October baseball and the first since Maddon became skipper in 2015.
"I'm not narcissistic enough to think this thing is always going to go our way or my way … Of course it's frustrating," Maddon said. "But optimistically, always trying to figure out the positive, I'm still that guy."
As far as job security goes, Maddon hopes to return in the spring, though his intiial five-year contract is due to expire at the end of this season.
"That's what I signed up for in the beginning. It's always the intention, to stay for a really long time... I'm no less motivated now than I was on the very first day on the job. To be given the opportunity to be the manager of this organization is quite the honor."
Maddon went on to describe his relationship with Chicago's front office as "great" and said he remains hopeful when the inevitable conversation comes regarding his future with the team.
"We'll make that over the next couple days and move it on from there. But I'm very pragmatic. I'm very optimistic. I'll just leave it with that. I'm very optimistic right now."
The Cubs have five games remaining and trail the Brewers by five games for the second NL wild-card spot. They'll visit the Pirates on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.