Latest Jed Hoyer comments do not suggest shift in Cubs' philosophy

Major League Baseball has been trending toward larger paydays for the game's top stars and that is one of the main reasons why Jason Heyward was the last time that the Chicago Cubs jumped ahead of the market to sign one of the top free agents of an offseason.

Large market teams have to make that swing every time. We have extreme examples of that rule with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees this season, but even the Philadelphia Phillies took a large swing on their $300MM+ deal with Bryce Harper, and that is one of the reasons why they are a perennial contender in the National League.

When there is a superstar on the roster, there is a path toward a team not having to depend on variance in order to find success.

Above all else, that is why the Cubs' 2024 season has been a failure. The Cubs' roster was dependent on variance and not a superstar. That would seemingly be a lesson that Jed Hoyer would have learned and, thus, shifts his philosophy for this offseason, right?

Wrong.

Hoyer was a guest on "The Parkins and Spiegel Show" on Wednesday afternoon and was asked about the idea of spending $300MM on a free agent.

Are you fundamentally against a $300 million-plus contract?

Jed Hoyer: "I would not say I'm fundamentally opposed. I think with any deal like that, there's a lot of risk.

"I'm probably more risk-averse on those deals (than others)."
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) July 31, 2024

This is a major problem for a team president to face while overseeing a team in the third-largest market in Major League Baseball. It's even more problematic when there is beginning to be a clearer correlation between spending money and being a sustained contender instead of shying away from that risk.

Nonetheless, Hoyer's response should all but take the Cubs out of the running for Juan Soto this winter. Soto will be the biggest free agent on the market and will likely command a deal north of $400MM, if not approaching $500MM.

Yesterday's price is not today's price, that is why how Hoyer operates the Cubs' baseball operation does not have a clear outline of how this team is going to be successful. Despite saying in the past that the Cubs will spend when they are ready to contend, Hoyer's actions suggest otherwise. Beyond that point, Hoyer's hesitancy will always have the Cubs on the outside looking in during free agency.

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