Offseason confusion grows as Carter Hawkins doubles down on strange Cubs plan

Every time that Carter Hawkins offers his insight on where things stand with the Chicago Cubs, he adds a level of annoyance to the sense of pessimism that Cubs fans already have. The vibes weren't good for the Cubs when their biggest trade at the deadline was for an injured Michael Soroka, and Hawkins made it worse by referencing 2032 in defending why the team wasn't aggressive with the deals they made.

At the very least, Hawkins lacks the ability to read the room. For instance, when Jed Hoyer said the focus for the Cubs this offseason would be on adding pitching, one could squint and see why he said that. Sure, the Cubs have some major questions on offense, but a glance through their pitching staff confirms they will be adding multiple pitchers this winter.

Hoyer has taken some heat for those remarks, but Hawkins added his two cents, and well, we wish he hadn't. Speaking with reporters at the GM Meetings, Hawkins talked about what he liked to tell his colleagues in the team's front office.

“One of my favorite things to talk about in the office with the guys is: ‘A win is a win is a win,’” Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said. “An offensive win is the same as a defensive win is the same as a pitching win. But if you look at our current lineup, our current depth chart, where are we most likely to be able to improve?"

Carter Hawkins once again fails to understand the assignment when talking about the Cubs' offseason plans.

To be fair to Hawkins, there is a level of truth to what Hawkins is saying. Regardless of how it happens, all wins count the same.

Having said that, the Cubs' failures in the playoffs should have provided the Cubs' front office with the realization that defense often doesn't win World Series. It might be a sound strategy to get the Cubs out of the Wild Card round, but when faced with a team that builds pitchers better than you, they were quickly outmatched.

And, there lies the problem with having Hawkins in the same front office as Jed Hoyer. When Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were at the top of Chicago's baseball operations, there was a yin and yang feel. Epstein was the aggressive one, with Hoyer adding a layer of caution. Now, the Cubs have two executives who are stubborn to a fault, and it doesn't appear to be making the team on the field a sustainable winner.