Tarik Skubal trade wouldn't be the first time Jed Hoyer ignored Cubs' front office model

Jed Hoyer has developed a reputation for being extremely logical, rarely deviating from his long-term plan for the Chicago Cubs organization. That has driven a decent chunk of the fanbase crazy, but we've seen him willing to buck the trend here and there, and he'll have to do it again if he's going to come out as the winner in the Tarik Skubal trade sweepstakes.

Skubal is the ultimate prize at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. The back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young Award winner would be a complete difference-maker atop any team's rotation and, given the laundry list of injuries the Cubs have suffered on the pitching side, he could completely flip the script on the team's outlook heading toward October.

But he won't come cheap. This is the type of trade that hurts - a lot - in terms of the talent that goes the other way. Given the Cubs' lack of an elite prospect in the system, Hoyer will have to get creative at a level we've only rarely seen from him. Of course, no recent example shows Hoyer's occasional foray onto the wild side than his Dec. 2024 blockbuster that brought Kyle Tucker into the fold.

Kyle Tucker deal could hint at Cubs' willingness to make Tarik Skubal trade

He sent fast-rising prospect and former first-rounder Cam Smith to the Houston Astros along with Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski for one year of Tucker, who was coming off an impressive, albeit injury-shortened 2024 campaign. Sure, there was speculation the Cubs might try to sign Tucker long-term, but we all pretty much assumed it would be a one-and-done for the All-Star outfielder on the North Side.

For half a season, the move looked like a stroke of genius. Then, injuries and an offensive bottoming-out completely flipped the script. Tucker was a complete offensive liability and the Cubs wound up running out of steam in the NLDS against the Brewers. That memory is still fresh and is no doubt in the back of Hoyer's mind as he considers another major pushing in of the chips this season.

Is Skubal the missing piece for a Cubs team that boasts one of the top position player groups in the league? With multiple key arms expected back before the end of the season, there's hope that pitching could become a strength come October - but will Hoyer meet the asking price on the game's best pitcher or look to spread his resources in a more risk-averse approach? We'll have our answer in a matter of days.

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