Jed Hoyer’s desperate attempt to patch Cubs roster is backfiring fast

Among the flurry of moves the Chicago Cubs made ahead of September was signing veteran first baseman Carlos Santana. The move didn't quite make sense, considering the Cubs already had Owen Caissie on their roster, and Santana's struggles with the Cleveland Guardians earlier this season suggested that he didn't have much left in the tank.

The early returns on Santana's time with the Cubs suggests that Jed Hoyer once again made a misevaluation with constructing the Cubs' bench. Santana is hitless through his first 10 plate appearances with 3 strikeouts.

It seemed that the idea behind bringing in Santana for the final month of the season was to offer a different look on the Cubs' bench, and give another option at first base against left-handed pitchers. It was an unnecessary measure for the Cubs to take. The one thing Justin Turner has done right this season is find success against left-handed hitters. Entering Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Turner is hitting .270 against southpaws with a 109 wRC+.

As a collective, there is no doubt that the Cubs have struggled against lefties this season, but Turner's presence should have ruled out the idea of Santana.

Jed Hoyer’s gamble to fix Cubs deadline collapse is crashing down

Santana took the place of Owen Caissie on the Cubs' roster, and while it was partially done to ensure Caissie can get every day plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs, the team's top prospect would have been a valuable piece on the roster with Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong battling injuries over the last week. Not to mention, Seiya Suzuki looking lost offensively since the middle of July.

There was a runway for the Cubs to give an extended look to Caissie, and instead, the front office relied on a veteran with a recent track record that should have had them reconsidering. Constructing the Cubs' bench hasn't been the strong suit of Jed Hoyer since he took over as the President of Baseball Operations, and for a team looking to be good year-over-year, that is a liability that must be corrected.

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