3 Cubs offseason decisions look brilliant, but 1 already feels disastrous

It was a decisive offseason for Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs acted with a level of urgency we haven't seen from the front office since the days of Theo Epstein, and the early returns have the North Siders as one of the best teams in baseball.

For better or worse, the offseason changed expectations for the Cubs. With the decisions that were made

3 Cubs offseason decisions that look genius

Now, to be clear, these moves don't have to be the players the Cubs decided to bring in for the 2026 season. Some of the best moves are the ones that aren't made.

Avoiding Kyle Tucker

The Kyle Tucker experiment in Chicago didn't work. Given that the Cubs gave up Cam Smith, Hayden Wesneski, and Isaac Paredes as part of the deal, there was a fair amount of speculation that the Cubs would make an effort toward signing Tucker to a long-term extension. Instead, the Cubs wanted nothing to do with Tucker by the time the offseason rolled around, and it seems they avoided a disaster.

Tucker has been good with the Dodgers, but not the type of player that would have been worthy of a contract that exceeded $350 million. He has a wRC+ of 112 through his first 173 plate appearances. The Cubs saw that version of Tucker last August and September, and it was one that left much to be desired.

Signing Michael Conforto

After an offseason where the Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera and signed Alex Bregman, it's slightly problematic that the best addition to the team so far has been Michael Conforto. That being said, Conforto has been terrific. Through 55 plate appearances this season, Conforto has a wRC+ of 214 with a slash line of .364/.473/.659.

Conforto has crept into the starting lineup more frequently over the past couple of weeks and has masked the struggles of Moises Ballesteros. It's been the best-case scenario for the Cubs and the player they have loved for a long time.

Extending the qualifying offer to Shota Imanaga

The Cubs have backed into the decision surrounding Shota Imanaga last offseason looking brilliant. In fact, because of the odd details of Imanaga's previous contract with the Cubs, there's a chance that the decision by the Cubs to decline his three-year club option will be a massive mistake by the time we reach the end of the season. For now, the Cubs got a steal with Imanaga returning on the qualifying offer.

Imanaga looks even better than he did in the 2024 season with the Cubs when he garnered Cy Young consideration. His fastball velocity is averaging 92 MPH, he's striking out over 28% of the hitters he's faced this season, and has an ERA of 2.28 through his first eight starts this season. He's been terrific, and if he weren't with the Cubs right now, things would look very different.

1 Cubs offseason decision that already feels disastrous

Signing Hunter Harvey

Hunter Harvey's profile as a high-leverage relief pitcher is littered with red flags. Sure, he has the high-velocity fastball and experience as a closer, but he's struggled to stay healthy. If the Cubs signed Harvey for a $2 million, no one would bat an eye over the fact that he's already hurt and it's unclear when he will pitch again. Instead, they signed Harvey to $6 million, and the expectation was that he would stabilize the bullpen. For that reason, the move already is disastrous.

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