Jed Hoyer's defense of the Chicago Cubs' offense will break the sanity of fans

When the Chicago Cubs' offense was in their tailspin during the months of May and June, the writing was on the all for how Jed Hoyer would talk about the team's ability to score runs at the end of the season.

The Cubs' core offensive players returned to expectations during the closing months of the season, once again setting the stage for Hoyer to feel validated in how the starting lineup is constructed. That would be the reason why Hoyer's defense of the offense while speaking to reporters at the GM meetings on Monday, will likely have Cubs' fans pulling out their hair.

“I was really pleased with how that group played in the second half of the season,” Hoyer said. “Our offense was good, our defense was good. Considering the wind, I thought we produced well. Obviously, we went through a long stretch of not producing. Things settled out a bit more.”

It is very easy to look at the Cubs' offensive numbers at the end of the season and feel like the team is in a good spot with their ability to score runs. After all, that is what Hoyer did after the 2023 season despite it being clear that the team was lacking an impact bat. The result was a second consecutive season where the realization was made that the Cubs did not have an impact bat.

It's also impressive that Hoyer was able to casually drop in another weather reference for why the Cubs' offense was inconsistent last season. Sure, the data confirms that Wrigley Field's park factor in 2024 was unlike anything the Cubs have seen in the past but the very thing that negates that is the very thing Hoyer has shied away from--spending money or using prospect capital to acquire a bat that plays no matter the situation. Until that happens, fans will likely see another season where the offense is broken for multiple months at a time.