Ranking the 5 best moves the Chicago Cubs have made in the Jed Hoyer era

4. The Kyle Tucker trade

I may be getting ahead of myself ranking this one so high this early, but this move has that transformational feel to it. Kyle Tucker is simply one of the best players in baseball. The term five-tool player gets thrown around a bit too much these days, but it applies perfectly to the 28-year-old right fielder. He hits for power and contact, has great baserunning instincts, a solid throwing arm and he has a Gold Glove to his name for his work defensively.

When it became apparent that the three-time All-Star was available during the 2024 offseason, Hoyer pounced at the opportunity and used his 2024 first-round draft pick Cam Smith to get the deal done. The steep price also saw third baseman Isaac Paredes, who was under team control for three more seasons, go the the Houston Astros along with pitcher Hayden Wesneski. This is arguably the most aggressive move Hoyer has completed during his tenure and it signals his eagerness to win in 2025 after back-to-back 83-win campaigns.

Tucker only has one year of team control left, but his offensive prowess could be a game-changer for a lineup that has been starved of elite-caliber production for years. From 2021-2023, Tucker finished with a BWAR above 5.0, which would have led the Cubs in each case. Although he broke his shin and missed half the season in 2024, Tucker still posted a 4.7 BWAR with 23 home runs, a wRC+ of 180 and a .993 OPS. This trade could go down as a legacy-defining move for Hoyer.

3. Signing Craig Counsell

Hoyer displayed his shrewdness with this move, which shocked virtually everyone in the baseball world. Even the Tucker trade was reported by insiders for days before it happened, but Craig Counsell signing with the Cubs was a tight secret until after it was complete.

After the 2023 postseason, Counsell's contract with the rival Milwaukee Brewers had expired, and he was able to speak with other teams. No one knew the Cubs were even in on the negotiations and insiders were convinced Counsell, who is regarded as one of the best managers in baseball right now, would sign with the New York Mets.

To pry away a manager of Counsell's prowess from your bitter rival is bold, but to then give the guy a record-setting $40 million contract is just flashy. Unfortunately, the results didn't show up in the win column in 2024, and the Cubs still finished behind Milwaukee and spent October sitting at home.

But we're only heading into Counsell's sophomore year with the Cubs organization. He spent the prior nine years with the Brewers so there were undoubtedly some adjustments to make being with a new club for the first time. Counsell also wasn't able to hire his own coaching staff until after the 2024 season, so having his hand-picked guys around him should help set a more consistent tone and culture moving forward.

There are four more seasons left for Counsell to leave his mark in Chicago and it feels like he is just getting started. Hoyer is giving Counsell a different group of guys to work with, including a superstar in Tucker, with more pitching likely on the way. The full extent of signing Counsell probably can't be gauged until a few years have gone by, but the move was downright unbelievable by Hoyer's standards and it again signaled a desire to compete oconsistently