Chicago Cubs exec says the quiet part out loud, affirming frustrating offseason strategy

The Chicago Cubs entered the offseason surrounded by buzz declaring that they would be uncharacteristically aggressive in pursuing top talent. And it made sense. After all, they were, legitimately, only a player or two away last season from going even further into the playoffs.

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So far, though, the Cubs have been frustratingly– but not necessarily surprisingly– conservative in their moves.

Signing relievers Phil Maton and Hoby Milner was good and sound, especially considering the team’s need for an almost completely re-stocked bullpen. They also added some of their trademark depth pieces and reclamation projects. Again, good and sound moves.

The (disappointing) offseason thus far

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But this offseason, as of right now, is best characterized by the players the Cubs pursued, but lost because of their unwillingness to compete with top market offers.

Starter Dylan Cease and closer Devin Williams were both targets who reportedly signed elsewhere because the Cubs refused to spend too far above their comfort zone.

This has been the pattern throughout the Cubs presidency of Jed Hoyer– talk big, then demur in favor of bargain hunting when bidding really heats up. And, by the looks of things, that mindset isn’t about to change anytime soon.

Cautious and conservative by design

Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins has all but confirmed that this offseason will play out true to recent form for the frugal north-siders.

“What’s the market rate for a deal? That’s the average, and there’s going to be some extremes on both sides,” Hawkins told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, regarding the big price tags of recently signed free agents. “Typically, there’s not many players that are going off the board early that didn’t get a deal that they really liked, so you always kind of withstand that first rally.”

In other words, the Cubs, under current direction, will pretty much NEVER be ahead of the market, in contention for the elite free agent talent. They are dedicated to staying behind and picking at the remnants of the already picked-through market.

Hoyer flipped the script a bit last winter when he acquired a legit start in right fielder Kyle Tucker via big three-for-one trade with the Houston Astros. But even that bold move was hobbled by a conservative instinct as the Cubs, by many accounts, were never really in on re-signing Tucker for the money he would command as a free agent.

While Hoyer has been more diplomatic and non-committal in talking up the team’s bargain-buying strategies, his GM is more likely to publicly let the cat out of the bag.

Last season, amid mass disappointment that the team hadn’t done more at the trade deadline to acquire impact talent for a playoff run, Hawkins agitated fans and media even further with a public justification for not going “all in.”

“It’s hard when you see other teams you’re competing with get really good players, but those aren’t decisions you’re making in the moment,” Hawkins told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “…It takes some discipline, especially in a moment when you see things moving that way, but we were able to stick to our approach and felt really good about the adds we were able to make.

“Teams are trying to find that guy that can lock down the eighth or ninth inning but that also costs a lot. That costs a lot of future wins. We have a responsibility to the 2025 Cubs but also the 2032 Cubs. That’s not always popular in the moment, but it’s decisions we have to make.”

Good for business, bad for fans

All of this is savvy business management. There’s no denying that. Hoyer and company delivering stadium-filling product at a comparative bargain price has to make the Ricketts family ownership very happy (hence Hoyer’s recent contract extension).

But fans want to win big. There’s no trophy awarded to teams who win the most games relative to the amount they invested. Cubs fans want– and deserve– a true ace at the top of their rotation, a shutdown closer, and established, elite-level talent for more than a single season at a time.

Apparently, though, the Cubs don’t ever really have any intention of being “all in.” They’re focus seems on being just “in” enough to keep fans coming to the ballpark and maintaining their Marquee Sports Network subscription.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-free-agent-plans-hoyer-maton-milner