3 changes Cubs must finally make after another exhausting year of the Jed Hoyer experience

Changes are likely coming for the Chicago Cubs this offseason, and it stems from the reality that is was another year where Jed Hoyer proved he's incapable of constructing a team capable of overtaking the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the National League Central.

After signing a contract extension last summer, Hoyer isn't going anywhere, despite the reality the Cubs likely do have a Jed Hoyer problem. If he was, he wouldn't have met with reporters last week. It's likely, though, that if the Cubs have a similar fate in 2027, at the very least, Hoyer's seat will be hot.

The same is likely true for Craig Counsell. The Cubs moving on from Counsell has been popular suggestion among Cubs fans, as mentioned on the latest episode of the Cubbies Crib Crib podcast (please click the link, subscribe, rate and review), but that wouldn't be the fix that this team needs.

Despite the disappointment that surrounded the end of the 2026 season for the Cubs, Counsell actually was a strength for the Cubs. That doesn't mean his tenure in Chicago has been a success, it just means any call for him to be fired is missing the larger point of what it was wrong currently with the Cubs.

3 changes Cubs need this offseason after Jed Hoyer's familiar approach wears thin again

Setting the status of Hoyer and Counsell to the side, there will be changes to the Cubs this winter, and not just to the names on the roster.

Carter Hawkins leaves the Cubs' front office

The easiest way for the Cubs to inject a new voice in the front office would be Carter Hawkins finding his own baseball team to run. In past offseason, where the Cubs may have been inclined to let Hawkins remain in place, perhaps the nudge him in the direction of running his own shop this time around.

The primary reason why the Cubs targeted Hawkins to serve as the general manager under Hoyer is because of his knowledge of developing pitching while with the Cleveland Guardians. Not only has that not happened for the Cubs, pitching development has been a failure for the Cubs. It's time for him to go.

Tommy Hottovy is fired

There's certainly a path where Tommy Hottovy could remain as Counsell's pitching coach. Hottovy's tenure with the Cubs does have more success stories than failures, but it's fair to wonder if pitching, overall, has taken a step forward under his watch. If the Cubs truly are going to overhaul how they view pitching this offseason, perhaps Hottovy is out as they usher in a new voice on the coaching staff.

Value run prevention, but don't obsess over it

The Cubs having the best defense in baseball is an undeniable strength of Jed Hoyer's roster construction. The problem is that Hoyer seemingly has become obsessed with that model. Instead of adding pitchers because the value they can offer the Cubs individually, it seems their pitching additions are centered around finding cheaper options that can be turned into success stories with the defense that is behind them. That's not saying the Cubs shouldn't target pitchers who thrive on generating groundballs, they should, but just go out and find pitchers who are among the best at what they need--velocity and missing bats.

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