CHICAGO (AP) — Jed Hoyer figured he would be discussing a potential playoff matchup rather than a season that fell far short of expectations.
The Chicago Cubs’ president of baseball operations was frustrated and optimistic, insisting the organization remains in a strong position, even if the team did not produce the way he 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 ultimately, it’s pretty binary. We’re not playing today or having a (playoff) press conference today.”
The Cubs came into the season expecting to contend for the NL Central championship. Instead, they finished 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers at 83-79 and missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
Manager Craig Counsell likely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon after the Cubs lured him from Milwaukee with a $40 million, five-year contract and fired David Ross in a pair of surprising moves last November.
Hoyer’s long-term future is in question because the five-year contract extension he signed when he got promoted to replace Theo Epstein expires after next season. He said he doesn’t need any clarity from chairman Tom Ricketts on that matter.
“I’m excited about next year, and I look at it as an opportunity,” Hoyer said.
A more immediate issue is whether the Cubs will take some big swings in the offseason, whether through trades or by going after potential free agents such as Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Alex Bregman. Hoyer said it’s “too early” to say because he hasn’t discussed the budget with ownership. Chicago entered this season with a $217,280,500 payroll that ranked ninth in the majors.
“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. I think the goal here is getting to a place where the playoffs are expectation every single year, that we’re in a position to sustain success.”
Hoyer, who joined the Cubs soon after they hired Epstein following the 2011 season, was part of a rebuild that produced a drought-busting championship in 2016 and five playoff appearances in six years. That run ended in 2020.
The Cubs then promoted Hoyer from general manager when Epstein resigned and endured back-to-back losing seasons as the roster got overhauled before going 83-79 in 2023. A year later, finishing with the same record left a far different taste.
Hoyer said the Cubs need more players to outperform expectations. But will the organization also try to land a star or two in free agency or trades?
“Those are conversations we’ll have over the course of the next three or four weeks,” Hoyer said. “I was trying to make the point that I think people always focus on the external when I think our job a lot of times is to focus on the internal — how do we make our own players better, what do we need to do as an organization, what do I need to do, what do these guys need to do to put us in position to have those kind of years? That ultimately is how you beat projections. It’s how you have a magical season.”
The Cubs struggled at the plate in the first half of the season and had big issues in the back end of the bullpen, particularly in the early going.
Chicago performed better after the All-Star break with a 36-28 record. The Cubs were 18-8 in August before slowing in the final month, going 13-13.
Slugger Cody Bellinger could opt out of his contract after re-signing in late February for $80 million over three years. He missed time because of fractured ribs and then a broke finger before finishing with a .266 average, 18 homers and 78 RBIs.
“I expect him to have a lot of options,” Hoyer said. “Obviously, it will impact team building, just figuring out what positions we’re filling.”
Hoyer also confirmed the Cubs let first-base coach Mike Napoli go, as well as two members of their performance staff — major league strength and conditioning coach Ryan Clausen and assistant major league strength and conditioning coach Keegan Knoll.
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