CHICAGO — Since replacing Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer has constantly prioritized the long term over a quick fix. As Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations, Hoyer oversees a front office that chases projections and efficiencies, making moves to increase the odds of future sustainability, regardless of whether those decisions are unpopular or inconvenient.
This precious flexibility could still involve more feel for the moment. The Cubs finished the last two seasons with the same record (83-79) under two different managers (David Ross and Craig Counsell). Heading into the final year of Hoyer’s contract, his regime has gone 0-for-4 in reaching the postseason. If there’s a playoffs-or-bust mandate, now would be the time to look at the situation with a short-term lens. Maybe get outside of the comfort zone within the Ivy system and take a big swing.
That sense of urgency, however, was not the message that Hoyer delivered during Tuesday’s end-of-season press conference at Wrigley Field. This does not sound like a big-market franchise that’s prepared to make Juan Soto the highest-paid player in baseball history or willing to empty the farm system to try and win the 2025 World Series.
“In general, the goal is to build something that’s sustainable,” Hoyer said. “Craig actually talked about building 90-win teams. What he really means is building teams that can project that year after year after year. That’s a difficult thing to do. Only three teams in baseball were projected for 90 wins going into the season. So to get to a place where we can build our projections up and consistently make the postseason year after year, I think there’s a level of discipline to do that. You don’t want to take wild swings. And you don’t want to do things that are going to expose you long term.”
Two days after Game 162 is obviously too early to have a fully formed offseason plan. Hoyer indicated that next year’s budget for baseball operations hasn’t been finalized yet, a process that involves chairman Tom Ricketts and president of business operations Crane Kenney. October will also be used to evaluate potential free agents, analyze the trade market and focus on player development.
Reading too much into any answer in this forum — essentially a one-man show for the team-owned Marquee Sports Network — would be a mistake. Baseball offseasons take so much time to unfold. Last winter, the Cubs didn’t sign Shota Imanaga until the middle of January and Cody Bellinger didn’t return to the team until late February. But this organizational mindset is revealing.
At the moment, it seems like the Cubs are more preoccupied with the post-2016 downfall than obsessed with winning another championship. That means worrying about another Jason Heyward contract more than anticipating the next Jon Lester deal.
“The goal here is getting to a place where the playoffs are an expectation every single year and we’re in a position to sustain success,” Hoyer said, referencing his time as Epstein’s general manager, when the Cubs made the playoffs five times in six years (2015-20). “In doing that, we probably did take some chances. I think that led to a little bit of a trough here.”
Hoyer was so involved in Epstein’s regime that it’s hard to separate all of the Theo/Jed dynamics that went into every big transaction and new initiative. Hoyer, who has three World Series rings from his time with the Cubs and Boston Red Sox, inherited a poor farm system and a manager who was particularly close with Epstein. Coming off a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Hoyer faced budget cuts that heavily factored into the decisions to release Kyle Schwarber and trade Yu Darvish, who are both back in the playoffs yet again with teams that have more star power.
Hoyer’s methodical, rational approach has yielded several above-average players who win Gold Gloves, occasionally make All-Star teams and compile 3-ish-WAR seasons. The Cubs placed seven prospects on MLB.com’s top 100 this summer, though none ranked in the top 20. Getting from 83 wins to 90-plus won’t be easy, but the team does have a solid foundation, an accomplished manager and plenty of payroll flexibility.
“It’s getting back to just making good decisions on a long-term basis,” Hoyer said, “drafting and developing well, and truly having a healthy organization can lead us to that sustained success where the playoffs are an expectation and not a surprise and not a one-year thing. That’s the goal. It’s not pushing all-in for a year.”
Hoyer believes the Cubs are “on the right path.” He will also be on the hot seat.
“There’s always pressure,” Hoyer said. “It’s professional sports. That’s part of it. I’m excited about next year and I look at it as an opportunity. I feel pressure. But I feel the pressure I always should feel, which is: I’m president of the Cubs and this is an exciting opportunity and an exciting time to be in this role. We’re in a really good position.”
(Top photo of Jed Hoyer during the Cubs’ season-ending press conference Tuesday: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
