The Milwaukee Brewers won 93 games in 2024 and won the NL Central division for the second consecutive year. They started their playoff journey on October 1st. Also, on October 1st, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer held a press conference. This was after the Cubs missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive time, every year since his promotion.
Nobody expected Hoyer to come to the microphone with a blueprint for their offseason. Nothing can be started until the playoffs conclude. Plus, it would be unwise of them to show their cards this early. What many were hoping for was some accountability for the shortcomings 2024 offered. Instead, the usual barrage of excuses as to why Hoyer's vision was still in play was what was offered.
To Hoyer's credit, albeit indirectly, he did take some responsibility. He addressed the faltering bullpen that cost the Cubs multiple games and ultimately cost them a chance at the playoffs. Hoyer said that will be remembered and accounted for going into the preparation for 2025. However, you could copy the comments about the bullpen after 2023 and paste them over Tuesday's: same story, same results, different season.
Same results, indeed. The Cubs finished the season with the exact same record they had in 2023. In a year where the expectation was improvement, especially after hiring Craig Counsell as the manager, the Cubs remained a mid-tier team at best. Jed Hoyer offered little responsibility for this, but not everything he said was meaningless.
Jed Hoyer Hints At Key Cubs Roster Construction Pieces
The Cubs are expected to be active in free agency and the trade market this offseason. There is a surplus of young talent playing major-league-ready baseball in some key positions. But space is limited on the roster. Not everyone will be able to play on the North Side of Chicago, presumably. Jed Hoyer will be tasked with choosing what he does in the offseason more wisely than ever before.
Hoyer made a point to acknowledge two players he acquired via trade last season. He made it seem like their places on the roster are set for 2025. Hoyer said he believes Michael Busch is capable of winning multiple Gold Glove Awards at first base. Additionally, Hoyer said he is excited to watch Isaac Paredes play third base for the Cubs next season.
This should end the talk of Busch switching to either second or third base for the Cubs to make room for another player (say, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). However, the argument can be made it does not rule out a trade involving him. The Cubs are obviously high on him, though. The return would have to be superstar caliber.
Hoyer and the Cubs seem to still want Paredes to be the third baseman here for a long time. Paredes was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to the Cubs. He shows an upside of pull power; it just did not transfer to Chicago. But their message hasn't changed.
Still, with top prospect Matt Shaw ready to emerge onto the scene at Wrigley Field, one of the biggest question marks is what the Cubs will do with second baseman Nico Hoerner. Hoerner is a top-five second baseman in the league. It's hard to imagine the Cubs giving him up easily, even with Shaw's anticipated power.
The Narrative Around Cody Bellinger Was Interesting
There is not much Jed Hoyer and the Cubs can do this offseason until they know Cody Bellinger's plans. Bellinger has an option to stay in Chicago for $27.5 million or re-enter free agency. While Bellinger did not match the 2023 season that had him in the conversation for MVP, his 2024 was not bad by any means.
It's not out of the realm that Bellinger can opt-out and receive the long-term deal from a team elsewhere he was looking for last offseason. But it also makes sense for him to stay with the Cubs. He has been very vocal about enjoying his time in Chicago and wanting to be here.
Hoyer's approach to the Bellinger decision in his press conference was not odd or abnormal, but it was noticeably quaint. Hoyer was building the idea that other teams should be interested in signing Bellinger. This isn't to say the Cubs would not want Bellinger back. There are obvious pros for the Cubs, whichever way he chooses. But they would not be lost without him, either.
Bellinger's departure would open a much-needed roster spot for possibly one of the young outfielders ready to burst onto the scene. We saw a glimpse of Kevin Alcantara at the end of the year. The Cubs have had Alexander Canario on the roster multiple times. Owen Caissie is someone everyone is waiting for the arrival of. But it is already crowded in the Wrigley outfield.
Ian Happ has a no-trade clause. He's also one of the most productive left-fielders in baseball. Seiya Suzuki also has an NTC and led the team in all three slashes. Pete Crow-Armstrong is the future; he isn't going anywhere. Throw Bellinger into the mix, and the Cubs could have seven viable options. Decisions loom for Jed Hoyer.
The Wildest Excuses From Jed Hoyer In His Cubs Tenure
Jed Hoyer has blamed the weather at Wrigley Field for the Cubs' lack of performance for the majority of the season. It's no surprise that he brought it up at the press conference. He cited that it was the second-worst ballpark in 2024 for producing offense, and the Cubs played there half the time. The Cubs finished the season 44-37 at home.
It would be a justifiable excuse if this were the Cubs' first season in a new ballpark without data. Unfortunately for Hoyer, this was the Cubs' 108th season playing at Wrigley Field. You may never figure it out if you don't know how to play small ball when the wind is coming in now. It really isn't that difficult to understand.
Hoyer also said that the Cubs did not make the playoffs because they needed every player to have the best year of their career to do so. Essentially, he and the Cubs were banking on overperformance from each lineup position to reach the playoffs. Imagine if the president of the Yankees, Dodgers, or Phillies said that. What would happen?
In reality, Jed Hoyer built a mid-tier Cubs team with a minimal chance of succeeding on a budget as if he were in charge of a small-market organization. It's obvious this regime is unwilling and scared to make a significant financial move to better the team's chances of winning up to this point. We'll watch and wait for what this offseason holds. But try to refrain from praising them for what should have been done already. Or, don't be surprised when they stay futile by doing the exact same thing again.
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