Former Cubs exec is running circles around Jed Hoyer as Juan Soto receives offers

Chicago Cubs fans knew that the team wasn't going to be involved in the sweepstakes for Juan Soto at the start of the offseason but the messaging of the winter for the Cubs has drawn some serious questions regarding the team's motivation.

The Cubs appear to be setting the stage for a reduction of payroll this offseason and while Soto was never among the realm of possibilities for the team this offseason, it seems that the Cubs will be bargain-bin shopping this winter with a priority of trading Cody Bellinger as a way to create playing time opportunities for the team's top prospects.

It's a mind-boggling approach for Jed Hoyer to have.

Not pursuing Soto is one thing but intentionally acting in a way to save money is an insult to the process Hoyer outlined at the Trade Deadline in 2021. When the Cubs traded away the core that won the World Series in 2016, he assured the fanbase that the team would return to spending once the next contention window was ready to open.

Now, the Cubs' contention window is all but ready to be propped open but Hoyer is cowering into his philosophies that have failed the Cubs' roster construction in each of the past two seasons. Hoyer's former underling, Craig Breslow, is now the top baseball executive for the Boston Red Sox and is showing his former boss how a major market should be going about their offseason.

When Breslow left the Cubs' organization in favor of leading the Red Sox front office, it was seen as a major loss for Chicago, considering he was on the groundfloor of developing the team's pitching infrastructure. Now, faced with getting the Red Sox back in the conversation of a division that includes the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, Breslow is leading the charge for the Red Sox to sign Soto.

Breslow's efforts likely will not result in the Red Sox signing Soto as the New York teams remain the co-favorites, but it's the action behind his intent that should have Red Sox fans excited. Meanwhile, if you're a Cubs fan, there is no reason to be excited. Hoyer's front office doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt and the expectation should be that any move he makes this offseason will ultimately not change the collective anticipation of the team failing to reach the postseason in 2025.