Cubs double down on Jed Hoyer with surprising extension decision

With the MLB trade deadline just days away, the Chicago Cubs are making sure the mastermind constructing those trades isn't going away. The Cubs announced on Monday that the team has agreed on a multi-year contract extension with Jed Hoyer.

Cubs just extended Jed Hoyer while fans were waiting on player news

Hoyer's contract status was a major storyline entering the season, but once the Cubs emerged as one of the best teams in the National League, it seemed like it was a foregone conclusion that he was going to be extended beyond this season.

General manager Carter Hawkins' contract is believed to be up at the end of the season, and it would seem that will remain the case. That said, as with Hoyer, the expectation should be that Hawkins will remain the general manager of the team beyond this season.

The timing of Hoyer's extension shouldn't be viewed as a coincidence. With the deadline on Thursday and the Cubs expected to be aggressive buyers, Hoyer is in a position where he is likely going to move several of the team's top prospects. While moving those prospects would certainly boost the Cubs' World Series hopes in 2025, it would leave a large question mark on the health of the organization beyond this season. Something Hoyer may not have been comfortable with if he wasn't certain that he would be returning as the team's top baseball executive.

Before the contract extension, Hoyer approached the 2025 season with a sense of urgency--the biggest reflection of that being the team's decision to part with Cam Smith for one season of Kyle Tucker. With Hoyer having a new contract in place, it's fair to speculate if the approach for the Cubs shifts, but this deal was likely in the works well before this week.

If anything, Hoyer's contract extension sets the stage for even more important decisions not just in the days ahead with the deadline on Thursday, but this offseason with Tucker set to become a free agent. With Hoyer officially in the fold beyond this season, perhaps that gives him added incentive to work out a long-term deal with Tucker.

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