Carter Hawkins risks angering Cubs fans again with his latest GM Meetings comments

Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins isn't what I'd call popular among the fanbase. Initially brought in for his track record developing a pitching pipeline on the cheap, he's become a favorite target of frustrated Cubs faithful given the team's continued inability to do just that.

Throw in his infamous '2032' comments, and it's not hard to see how he's maybe done himself a disservice during his time with the team. But he's back in the spotlight this week during the GM Meetings with a quote that immediately drew some flak online.

OK, I get what he's trying to see. The Cubs could be way worse off than they are, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman set to return, both coming off impressive and, in PCA's case, historic 2026 seasons. But they're also likely to lose Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ in free agency, not to mention Carson Kelly, leaving multiple holes on the position player side of things.

Granted, Happ wasn't what he'd historically been this year, but they still need to replace a guy who has been an above-average offensive player for the last decade. Suzuki, meanwhile, is a huge loss. He's quietly been one of the league's most consistent power threats during his five years in Chicago, and barring a complete shock, he'll suit up for a new team in 2027.

Cubs' offense has questions beyond its looming free agent losses

The losses of Happ and Suzuki aside, this team has real questions with much of the 'core' Hawkins referenced. Can Michael Busch rediscover his power stroke from 2024? His slugging percentage fell by 130 points year-over-year, so it's a real concern moving forward.

One insane week aside, Dansby Swanson was a major offensive liability in 2026 and Nico Hoerner ran into a ton of bad luck, something that may simply be part of his offensive profile given his make-up. PCA was otherworldly, but it's hardly realistic to expect him to go 40/40 with 10 WAR every single year moving forward.

Pitching should be the team's primary focus. But thinking you can roll out what's left over from the offense in 2027 and get similar results is foolhardy, and Hawkins is surely aware of that fact. Unfortunately, his GM Meeting comments missed the mark, and now, he's back in the crosshairs of a fanbase desperate for meaningful moves before the lockout.

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