Going into the 2024 All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs showed life under challenging circumstances. They went to Baltimore and swept one of the best teams in baseball. Then they ventured to St. Louis and split four games with the rivaled Cardinals. Unfortunately for Jed Hoyer and the roster he constructed, this was just a moment in time.
Hoyer is now in his fourth full year serving as President of Baseball Operations. In 2021, he let a couple of World Series heroes walk and traded away the others at the beginning of what he called a “retooling.” In 2022, the Cubs sold again. After signing shortstop Dansby Swanson and taking a chance on former MVP Cody Bellinger for the 2023 season, the Cubs almost squeaked their way into the playoffs. This set the stage for 2024 to be the year the Cubs broke through.
Hoyer constructed a roster that, while strikingly similar to 2023, was favored to win the National League Central division. The most significant difference, however, could be found at the steps of the dugout. The Cubs convinced manager Craig Counsell to leave a better organization in Milwaukee to come right the ship in a big market.
Through 104 games, we’ve learned that not even the proclaimed best manager in baseball can create magic in a bottle. Looking back, the record reflects the exact roster that was constructed. Now, as the trade deadline approaches, Hoyer is looking at a situation where he could be selling for the future for the third time in four years.
So, what does this mean for Hoyer’s future? Is his seat remotely hot for underperforming for almost half a decade in a market as large as Chicago? If you put the pieces of the puzzle together, probably not.
Hoyer’s tenure as president of baseball operations, now in Year 4, has yet to produce tangible results in what supposedly is a results-driven business. But there is nothing to suggest Chairman Tom Ricketts will look elsewhere…
Paul Sullivan, The Chicago Tribune
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune dove into the organization’s state as another trade deadline approaches, and the Cubs are in no position to buy for the short term. The “retooling” that began in 2021 has still not resulted in a playoff appearance three summers later. After another year of kicking the can down the road, some people question whether Jed Hoyer’s seat is even remotely hot. Sullivan doesn’t think so.
In his latest article, Sullivan mentions he does not believe there is any evidence the Cubs are willing to move on from Hoyer as their President of Baseball Operations. With everyone within the Cubs organization believing in how bright the future looks with budding stars in the making below, it seems that everyone is content with the state of the franchise and looking ahead past 2024.
Hoyer’s contract runs through the 2025 season. There’s been no real talk of an extension or another option. Before Monday night’s game, Hoyer was asked about his job and whether he felt any pressure or danger. He was more deflected to wanting to build a winner than answering directly, as most do in an uncomfortable position.
You’d have to believe that if Hoyer is being allowed to handle things the way he is, it is more likely he will be extended than relieved of duties. It makes sense. From an owner’s perspective, what’s not to like? Hoyer spends enough to make it look like there’s an effort to win. He does not go over the first tax threshold. They can benefit from 35-36 thousand passionate fans packing into Wrigley Field on a nightly basis. It doesn’t matter whether the team is good or bad.
For Tom Ricketts, Jed Hoyer is a dream scenario. He takes the bullets while Ricketts can sit back and count his stacks of cash.
