Major front office change many Cubs fans hoped for isn't coming after all

While the Chicago Cubs are preparing for the postseason, they won't have to prepare for life without Carter Hawkins. Jed Hoyer's right-hand man was reportedly in the running for the general manager position with the Washington Nationals. In fact, it was thought that he was a frontrunner. However, the latest rumors suggest that Hawkins is no longer in the running.

It's up to each individual Cubs fan to determine if that's good or bad news.

Grant Paulsen of MLB Network and 106.7 The Fan reported earlier this week that the Cubs' GM will stay put. Paulsen didn't say if Hawkins withdrew his own name or was beaten out by other candidates. He did confirm that the exec was once considered a strong candidate.

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins no longer in consideration for Nationals front office role

Hawkins has not exactly ingratiated himself with Cubs fans of late, in large part because of comments about "sustained success" that many people took as focusing far too much on the future rather than going all in on winning when the opportunity presented itself.

His comments came after what felt like a disappointing trade deadline. While he was attempting to tamp down fan frustration, he only added fuel to the fire.

"Teams are trying to find that guy that can lock down the eighth or ninth inning but that also costs a lot. That costs a lot of future wins. We have a responsibility to the 2025 Cubs but also the 2032 Cubs. That's not always popular in the moment, but it's decisions we have to make."

The combination of the Kyle Tucker trade, which seemed to signal a newfound sense of urgency from the front office and the Cody Bellinger salary dump had the fanbase believing we'd see more aggressive moves. Instead, the ever-cautious tandem of Hoyer and Hawkins did what they always do, playing it safe and thinking long-term.

It's somewhat ironic that Hawkins, who joined the Chicago front office in 2022 after years in the Cleveland Guardians organization, might have lost out in the fight for his next position to current Guardians' assistant general manager Matt Forman, another reported candidate for the Nationals' gig.