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6 genius decisions by Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer since 2021
Looking at the current state of the Cubs, the team's record of 35-38 only tells part of the story. They have been in several one-run games that they lost, at that record could just as easily be reversed to an above .500 mark. Although we're probably not watching a 90+ win team this season, the front office has made strides in accelerating the rebuild process. Going back two years ago, Jed Hoyer has made several moves for which he deserves a lot of credit. Let's dive right in and look at six genius deals by Jed Hoyer since 2021.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - Not extending Willson Contreras
Starting off, we land immediately on the Cubs not extending Willson Contreras last season. Although it stung that the Cubs didn't get anything for him at the deadline, after a last-second deal with the Houston Astros fell through, they still were awarded a compensatory 2nd round draft pick once Contreras declined the team's qualifying offer. Although many love Contreras, and rightfully so, he has been a trainwreck for the Cardinals in his first year within his new organization.
Contreras initially lost his catching duties and was limited to a DH role due to what many believe is an inability to call a good game behind the plate. Making matters worse, Contreras himself has recently come out and stated that he has lost his confidence. He is slashing just .201/.293/.355 with a wRC+ of 82, which puts him on pace for the worst season of his career by a landslide, especially considering he doesn't have a position that his team can depend on him playing well. He has since returned to catching duties, but the writing was on the wall with his game-calling back when we noticed the glaring differences in pitcher ERA's with Contreras behind the plate.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - Moving on from Kris Bryant
First and foremost, dealing Kris Bryant at the 2021 trade deadline was one of the more heart-wrenching storylines regarding the Chicago Cubs in the last ten years. A fan favorite to many, Bryant won Rookie of the Year honors in 2015 and won MVP the following year while helping propel the Cubs to their first World Championship in 108 years. Though the resentment was evident, Bryant's growing injury concerns prompted the fun office not to resign the four-time all-star, and so far, they were right on the money.
Since being traded at the 2021 deadline, Bryant has appeared in just 144 contests, including only 42 in all of 2022, and he is currently on the IL again this year, recording a WAR of just -0.4 on the 2023 campaign. In exchange, the Cubs received Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario. Kilian has yet to hit his stride in the big leagues. Canario had a monster year before injury in 2022, notching 37 homers and 97 RBIs on the season. He has resumed baseball activities and will likely continue at Triple-A Iowa once he returns, which gives the Cubs another excellent opportunity to have a solid bat in their lineup. Nevertheless, had Bryant been extended, he would unfortunately only be taking up payroll on the IL now.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - Avoiding Carlos Rodon
A key name is this past winter's offseason; Carlos Rodon was targetted by many as one of the most proficient arms on the market. However, after two strong seasons in which Rodon looked to have put his injury history behind him, the Cubs still opted for caution by avoiding him instead of rolling the dice. Hoyer's decision to pass on Rodon paid dividends, as the veteran lefty has yet to throw an inning at the major league level in 2023.
Call in common sense to not lock up funds to a potential injury-prone player; call it advanced scouting on the part of Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins; either way, the Cubs made the right move not committing six years and 162.0M to Rodon. Though they still lack a significant "ace on their roster" outside of the massive steps Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele have taken since the end of last season, they certainly dodged a bullet here. Now, they can explore acquiring their ace in free agency or via trade whenever the team is ready.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - Not giving Abreu a third year
In what felt like a giant swing and miss at the time, the Cubs, who had formerly been heavily rumored to be going after Jose Abreu, wound up missing their top target due to the Houston Astros offering the slugger a three-year deal. The Cubs would not budge above two years, and looking back now, it appears that Jed Hoyer was right on the money in doing so. This season, Abreu's production has fallen off the face of the Earth.
With a 37% worse-than-league-average bat, Abreu's .224/.279/.309/63 wRC+ slash line indicates that last season's power outage was an ominous sign that things would only worsen. The power has not returned, and the average is taking a big hit. The Cubs avoided disaster by not guaranteeing Abreu more than two years are 20.0M per season. Cudos to Hoyer for not getting too aggressive with this signing because this one would have significantly hindered the Cubs' spending and confidence in more significant contracts.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - Not paying Javier Baez, trading for PCA
Javier Baez was another trade candidate at the '21 deadline that, although he was not producing anymore, still stung the hearts of the Wrigleyville faithful worldwide. Before the deadline, Baez reportedly sought a contract north of 200M from the Cubs while slashing a robust .248/.292/.484. After Baez' move to the Big Apple, he slashed .299/.371/.515 with the Mets, temporarily making it appear that the Cubs didn't wait long enough.
Since Baez signed his contract with the Detroit Tigers, things have only worsened for him in the last year and a half. During his tenure in Detroit, Baez has slashed an underwhelming .237/.276/.378 with just 22 homers in 211 total games. More important than just not extending Baez was the fact that Hoyer pulled a fast one on the New York Mets front office and acquired Pete Crow-Armstrong, who currently still sits #1 in the Cubs organization, as well as #12 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
6 genius decisions by Jed Hoyer - The Ben Brown trade
The Trade Jed Hoyer pulled off last season for Ben Brown in exchange for David Robertson, who was set to become a free agent in a matter of a couple of months, has the potential to go down as one of the ultimate fleecings in recent trade history for any team. Of course, Brown will have to work out at the major league level for this to transpire, but he is well on his way and appears to be in line for a call-up at some point this season.
The 23-year-old currently owns a 2.53 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He started red-hot in Tennessee, striking out 30 over 20 frames with a 0.45 ERA before getting promoted to Iowa. Brown owns an incredible 13.6 K/9, fanning 88 batters in 58.1 total innings pitched on the season. Brown has all the making of a starting pitcher who should have no problem finding himself in the middle of the Cubs' starting rotation soon. When he does, this trade will potentially be the best of the Jed Hoyer era.
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