Chicago Cubs: Breaking down Jed Hoyer’s end-of-season press conference

Jed Hoyer says the Chicago Cubs aren’t “looking to win the offseason”

“I think things can change quickly, and I think that’s the goal,” he said, but then “You change it one piece at a time, improving a player at a time.” Which would seem, on the face of it, a contradiction, but it’s more building the jenga tower, as you need a whole stack of good and or parsimonious decisions to make the magic happen.

“Our rotation was short, and we weren’t effective enough in terms of run prevention,” Hoyer said, indicting both the staff and the defense. This. he said, was especially evident later in the season when the Gold Glove shortstop was plying his trade in Flushing and his apparent successor wasn’t able to suit up.

The Cubs expect good things from Nico Hoerner though: “He can be an impact defender,” Hoyer said, talking about how Hoerner had gotten off to a good defensive start. Many others disagree but few have the power to effect any sort of change there.

“We’re not looking to win the offseason,” he said, but “I expect to have the resources available to be active.” So the Cubs will ‘spend intelligently’ instead of throwing big dollars at every Tom, Dick, and Marcus Stroman out there.

It’s pretty evident what the Cubs need. But the people to fill those spots exactly may or may not be available, and how they substitute is going to be the prevailing narrative over the offseason. How the Cubs deal intelligently with those challenges will go a long way toward their possible success going forward.

Jed Hoyer has a lot to prove, and frankly, the team’s track record in the areas that need improvement isn’t good. The only answer is winning. The jury is going to be out for some time.