Cubs’ Silver Slugger finalists just backed up Jed Hoyer’s least popular take

The 2025 National League Silver Slugger finalists have been revealed, which may provide support for one of Jed Hoyer's key takeaways heading into the offseason. The Cubs as a team, Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Tucker were all named finalists for the Silver Slugger award at their respective positions. The reveal may lend credence to one of the talking points Hoyer had after the Milwaukee Brewers eliminated the Cubs in the NLDS.

For as great as the Cubs' offense was during the first half of the season, there is no question that the offense appeared to break down during the closing weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. It was that first half success that Hoyer pointed to as the reason why he wasn't concerned with the limited sample size from the playoffs.

Silver Slugger finalists give Jed Hoyer proof Cubs fans didn’t want him to have

There is some irony that as a team, the Cubs are nominated with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The model that the Diamondbacks have had each season--try to be just good enough to sneak into the playoffs and make a difference--has become the theme of Hoyer's front office. Meanwhile, the Dodgers leave nothing to chance, hoarding All-Star talent whenever they can find it. That may be the case this offseason, as well, with reports that they are already circling with interest in Tucker.

There shouldn't be an underselling of what the Cubs' offense did during the first half of the season. Both Crow-Armstrong and Tucker were producing at an MVP pace, and that may have led to the decisions that were made at the trade deadline. Instead of focusing on offense, the Cubs made pitching the priority, and even then, may have misvalued the moves that they did.

Crow-Armstrong being a Silver Slugger finalist is a reminder of the high ceiling he has, despite how he looked to close out the season. Even with Tucker, his recognition should be a reminder to the Cubs' front office that his impact needs to be replaced this offseason. If the Cubs aren't going to fork up the money it would cost to bring him back, they need to make sure they find another bat who can provide that impact. Those expectations can't be bestowed upon Owen Caissie in his first full season at the Major League level.

The Cubs' offense has a solid base; Hoerner being among the Silver Slugger finalists is proof of that, but there is no masking the feast-or-famine approach the lineup had in the playoffs was a problem. The onus is now on Hoyer to fix that, despite what he says publicly.