New poll of MLB executives paints a bleak perception of the Cubs and Jed Hoyer

A decade ago, the Chicago Cubs' brain trust of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, bankrolled by Tom Ricketts, was widely viewed as the best in the business. With the 1060 Project revitalizing Wrigley Field and opening up new revenue streams, big-ticket free agent deals and a farm system dripping with high-end talent had the Cubs checking every imaginable box in their quest for a title.

But things have changed. Yes, they got that long-desired World Series, but over the last half-decade or so, have cowered away from major additions, cut payroll and focused on incremental improvements as opposed to transformative, big-market pursuits of elite talent. The results speak for themselves: no postseason wins or division titles since 2017 and no full-year postseason appearances since 2018.

So it should come as no surprise that, for the second straight year, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office received zero votes in The Athletic's annual poll of MLB executives asking 'What are the top 5 front offices in baseball?' It's not just that they didn't receive any first-place votes: they didn't receive a vote of any kind - a damning indictment on the organization's lack of results for the better part of a decade now.

Cubs couldn't be further from where they were a decade ago

Since 2019, ownership has put the handcuffs on the front office financially - and the Cubs haven't come remotely close to landing a truly hot commodity free agent. There have been wins, sure. Shota Imanaga has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in the league, but there hasn't been real star power on the North Side since the first half of 2021.

Here's how the voting shook out in terms of total points - you can check out the full piece (subscription required) for the full results:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Cleveland Guardians
5. New York Yankees

The Cubs have a weird obsession with trying to emulate the front office strategies of clubs like Tampa Bay, Milwaukee and Cleveland - when they should be acting more like the Dodgers and Yankees (even if they don't match them dollar-for-dollar, they're more representative of those franchises than the small-market teams they so often wax poetic over.

The fanbase and media have shifted much of the blame to Ricketts over the last year or so - and rightfully so. But this poll shows that Hoyer is getting little love for the work he's done with 'limited' resources at his disposal - and could be a sign of writing on the wall when his contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.