PHILADELPHIA – Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stood next to manager Craig Counsell a little ways up the third baseline, chatting as batting practice neared its end at Citizens Bank Park before a three-game series between the Cubs and Phillies.
It was far from their first conversation of the day. They’d sat together in meetings just that afternoon. But the pair has a lot to talk about this time of year. With their team officially eliminated from playoff contention, they’re both wrapping up this season – evaluating the team top to bottom and conducting exit interviews – and charting their path forward.
In addition to their ongoing conversations about team-building, Hoyer saw Counsell’s comments last week about the large gap between the NL Central champion Brewers and the rest of the division, and the need for the Cubs to aim to build 90-win teams.
“That is the goal,” Hoyer said Monday. “And we talk about a gap – I think that we’ve come a long way, and I feel really good about the position we’re in, but there’s still a gap. That last stretch that’s what we have to make up.”
Don’t expect, however, the kind of all-in offseason that lands a bunch of stars on huge contracts and trades away bunches of prospects. That would fly in the face of Hoyer’s approach so far.
“All of us – from me on down – have to look at, OK, what do we need to do this offseason and going forward to get to that place consistently?” Hoyer said. “It’s not about doing it once. It’s about getting to a place where you feel like we can do it consistently.”
That’s been Hoyer’s mantra from the 2021 trade deadline teardown, to a middling 2022 rebuilding year, to a 2023 season that revived playoff hopes, to a disappointing 2024 performance. The ultimate goal was always “sustained success.”
The Brewers running away with the division title, and a contentious NL wild-card race, has put a number to the concept. The National League playoff threshold looks like it’s going to be in the 90-plus win range.
“The goal has to be, how do we get to that range?” Hoyer said.
That question will be front of mind this offseason, even though Hoyer stopped short of promising 90 wins in 2025. And the answer for Hoyer and his team will likely be less flashy than fans yearning for a star-laden team might hope.
The Cubs are expected to be active this offseason, especially when it comes to pitching. Though starting pitching was a strength of the team – as Shota Imanaga exceeded expectations, Justin Steele backed up his breakout 2023 performance, Jameson Taillon found consistency over the season, and Javier Assad earned a regular spot in the rotation – injuries limited their young pitching.
Jordan Wicks, Hayden Wesneski and Ben Brown had combined to throw just 164 innings as of Monday. And top pitching prospect Cade Horton was on track to debut this year before getting hurt. So, the health of their young pitchers, plus identifying reinforcements, will naturally be a priority for the Cubs.
Not to mention, the same ballpark factors that apparently dampened the Cubs’ overall offensive production likely helped their pitchers. Wrigley Field has played as the second-most pitcher-friendly home park in MLB this season, behind only the Mariners’ T-Mobile Park, according to Statcast. It was a dramatic swing compared to last year, and it’s unclear what conditions the Cubs will play in next season.
On the offensive side, the Cubs have most positions covered by players who are under team control for multiple years to come – although they are expected to look to add depth and try to continue to strengthen the catching position.
That kind of stability means that for the rest of the roster, instead of targeting specific positions, the Cubs can seize opportunities to upgrade however they arise.
“It’s not only what holes in the roster we need to fill, it’s also what’s available,” Hoyer said. “And then, how do you make that happen? Every offseason, the tapestry is complex, trying to figure out what’s available, what’s not.”
Counsell, who thinks of himself as more of consultant when it comes to his relationship with the front office, will remain involved.
“He’s an incredible baseball mind, thinks the game all the time,” Hoyer said of Counsell. “And he’s obviously seen an excellent organization up close. He’s seen the things we can do. And a big part of bringing in a different perspective, a person from a different organization, are those things.”
After all, Counsell contributed to the Brewers rise to the top of the division as their longtime manager.
“We’ve changed so much in the last three or four years in terms of how we run different departments, how we’re doing things differently,” Hoyer said. “But obviously, there’s room to grow, and we would be crazy not to listen to the things that he says and wants and believes, because you want every single good idea and every single angle and every single perspective, and he can provide that.”