Jed Hoyer thought he would be talking about a possible playoff matchup instead of a season that didn’t meet expectations.
The president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs felt both frustrated and hopeful, stating that the organization is still in a strong position, even if the team didn’t perform as he had hoped.
“Everyone is optimistic about our future,” Hoyer said Tuesday. “We put ourselves in a terrific position. But I think everyone’s disappointed in the way the season played out. I think we showed at times for long stretches that we’re a really good team.
But it’s pretty clear. We’re not playing today or having a (playoff) press conference today.” The Cubs began the season aiming for the NL Central championship. Instead, they finished 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers with an 83-79 record and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Manager Craig Counsell is likely to stay after the Cubs signed him from Milwaukee with a $40 million, five-year contract and fired David Ross in two surprising moves last November.
Hoyer’s long-term future is uncertain because the five-year extension he signed when he took over for Theo Epstein ends after next season. He mentioned he doesn’t need any updates from chairman Tom Ricketts about that.
“I’m excited about next year, and I look at it as an opportunity,” Hoyer said.
A more immediate question is whether the Cubs will make significant moves in the offseason, either through trades or by pursuing free agents like Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Alex Bregman.
Hoyer said it’s “too early” to discuss this because he hasn’t talked about the budget with ownership. Chicago started this season with a payroll of $217,280,500, which ranked ninth in the majors.
“To reach a point where we can improve our chances and make the playoffs consistently every year, there’s a level of discipline required. You don’t want to take reckless risks, and you don’t want to make moves that will hurt you in the long run.
The goal is to make the playoffs an expectation every year, so we can sustain our success.”
Hoyer, who joined the Cubs shortly after they hired Epstein in 2011, was part of a rebuild that led to breaking a championship drought in 2016 and five playoff appearances in six years. That success ended in 2020.
After Epstein resigned, the Cubs promoted Hoyer from general manager, but the team faced two consecutive losing seasons while the roster was changed before finishing with an 83-79 record in 2023. A year later, ending with the same record felt very different.
Hoyer mentioned that the Cubs need more players to exceed expectations. But will the team also aim to acquire a star or two through free agency or trades?
“Those are discussions we’ll have over the next three or four weeks,” Hoyer said. “I want to highlight that people often focus on outside moves, but our job is often to focus on our own players—how to make them better, what we need to do as an organization, and what I need to do to help us achieve those kinds of seasons.
That’s really how you exceed expectations and have a magical season.”
The Cubs had a tough time hitting in the first half of the season and struggled with their bullpen, especially early on.
After the All-Star break, Chicago improved with a 36-28 record. They had a strong August, going 18-8, but slowed down in September, finishing 13-13.
Slugger Cody Bellinger may choose to opt out of his contract after re-signing in late February for $80 million over three years. He missed some time due to fractured ribs and a broken finger, ending the season with a .266 average, 18 home runs, and 78 RBIs.
