LAS VEGAS — Leading up to the general managers meetings this week, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and chairman Tom Ricketts met multiple times to nail down the team’s offseason budget.
“We’re not at a final number yet,” Hoyer said Tuesday, “but I’ve got a good sense of where we’ll be.”
Hoyer, of course, didn’t share that range, wanting to maintain the competitive advantage of secrecy while negotiating with other teams and player agents. He declined to reveal whether it would be more substantial than last season, when the large-market Cubs went into domestic Opening Day with the No. 12 payroll in MLB, according to the Associated Press.
“We’re going to have an active offseason,” Hoyer said. “Take that for what it’s worth.”
What exactly does that mean?
The Cubs are certainly going to prioritize pitching this offseason. And they’re expected to again lean on short-term and minor-league deals — both before and during the season — as well as smaller trades to flesh out the majority of their bullpen.
That cost-effective approach carries risk, but the Cubs also claimed major victories with their acquisitions of relievers like Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz last year.
On the starting pitching side, left-hander Shota Imanaga’s decision on the qualifying offer will affect the depth of the team’s needs.
“One of my favorite things to talk about in the office with guys is, a win, is a win, is a win,” general manager Carter Hawkins said, referring to solving for WAR (wins above replacement). “So, an offensive win is the same as a defensive win, is the same as a pitching win. But if you look at our current lineup right, our current depth chart, where are we most likely to be able to improve, where are we most likely to be able to clear a replacement level? It’s going to be on the pitching side. That’s where the most opportunity is.”
So, where does that leave the offense?
Right fielder Kyle Tucker tops this free agent class after one season with the Cubs. He posted an eye-popping .931 OPS and .395 OBP through the end of June, before slumping for much of July and August, and being sidelined by a calf injury for most of September.
Hoyer reiterated this week that the Cubs offense was at its best when Tucker was at his best
“When you have a great player that’s getting on base in that clip and driving and runs, I think it makes a huge difference,” Hoyer said. “So that’s something that we’ve noted.”
The Cubs made clear to Tucker that they would love to bring him back, if they could find a deal that worked for both parties. And they plan to remain in contact with his agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management.
The early industry expectation, however, is that the Cubs will likely be priced out of Tucker’s market.
The Cubs would then be left to find a way to replace Tucker’s production. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a major hitting acquisition. They may instead rely on internal improvement, from their young hitters especially, and offset the offensive loss with pitching gains.
“We’re going to look at everything,” Hoyer said. “… Certainly we can look to get better offensively. But I feel like from an offensive standpoint, we could kind of play a game tomorrow if we needed to, we have players at every position. … And so, will we look to move things around, will we look to add? Of course. But the level of urgency is not nearly as high as on the pitching side.”
The Cubs’ trade for Tucker last offseason was the most aggressive of Hoyer’s tenure as president. But the team, after missing the playoffs in what was supposed to be a competitive 2024 season, also saw a unique opportunity.
“We felt like we needed a boost to get our team to the type of competitive level that we were last year,” Hawkins said. “It was obviously a lot of really good talent that went the other way in that deal. But it helped accomplish, along with a lot of other really good things, a really solid season for the Cubs. And from that perspective, it was a success.”
The Cubs believe they have enough young position-player depth to both play some prospects at the major-league level and feel comfortable parting with some in trades. But they’ll also be wary of gouging their developing talent too deeply in potential trades, as was evident at the trade deadline.
Said Hawkins: “Hopefully we’re at a place where we don’t feel like we need that boost as we continue to build the type of organization that we want to have.”
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
