Bleacher Bums Forum

Yeah, we don't really know with anybody.  Which includes our young players.  I suspect how 2026 plays out will depend more on how PCA, Caissie, Shaw, Amaya, Moises, Horton, Hodge, and Wiggins actually perform/develop than on which of the remaining FA's Hoyer signs.  The last FA or two signed will impact the season less than how the other 30 guys do. 

Blue doesn't see our youth as being that great, not on par with Bryant/Rizzo/Schwarber.  I don't know.  But. *IF* we're going to end up being really good, I think that will hinge on PCA/Horton/Busch/Wiggins-maybe being really good.  And some from the Shaw/Moises/Caissie/Palencia/Amaya/Hodge group working out as being asset guys. 

Who can know now, until things play out? 

Trying to get inside of Hoyer's mind to assess his motivations seems like a futilie and misguided exercise. But I think there are those here who have gone beyond simply disagreeing with Hoyer's judgement to something much deeper. That happened with Rickets with some (or at least one, for sure) when he first purchased the team. Hiring Theo, completely upgrading Wrigley Field and the entire Cub infrastructure, then winning a World Series did nothing to alter those opinions. I don't think there is anything Hoyer can do at this point to change the opinions of his most ardent opponents.

I'm not sure why those of us not in complete agreement need to be reminded of the utter disregard these folks have for Hoyer several times a day. This has been well established. But it's a free country (for a while anyway) and a free message board.

And keep in mind that with significant extra $ as a result of the playoff games.

Wonder how good Bregman's numbers would be away from Houston or Boston 81 games per season.  Pretty nice ballparks for his profile as a hitter.

Boo on Okamoto to Jays.  Any chance we'll find we were one of the final three? 

It's been kinda assume Toronto would sign one of Bichette, Bellinger, or Tucker.  Any chance this means they are pulling out on those guys? 

Who knows, four months till season.  Would be super fun if Hoyer's waiting game actually worked, and in the end Tucker had only modest market.

Think more than zero chance that length of Tucker deal might be far shorter than some have speculated. But, if a LOT shorter, probably likely that Dodgers swoop in with some kind of huge AAV deal with deferrals.

Hoyer likes Bregman’s overall package. At this point, think it’s Bregman or bust on an impact bat. More likely than not, he signs elsewhere but still a decent chance here. That’s how I look at it.

For some, being a diehard fan means that the head guy making the decisions is an idiot. Not just Hoyer and Cubs of course. There are Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, etc. etc. etc. fans like that too. We have a few here. Gets tiresome but plenty of room for everybody. All aboard. For me, Hoyer is a competent guy——outside the Top 10 of MLB decision-makers—but a workmanlike exec capable of putting a World Series team on the field. Okay by me.

We are in year 5 of the Jed Hoyer show and he 1 wild card appearance to show for it.  This is his 7th year being in charge if you include the Padres and it is still 1 wild card appearance.

Do you really need year 8?  I don’t think Hoyer deserves all the blame, but if Ricketts is going to play with 1 hand tied behind his back, he is going to have to hire someone a heck of a lot than Hoyer to be good again.

Here are the terms of the Okamoto deal from Jeff Passan:

The deal is worth $60 million over four years with a $5 million signing bonus, a source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. Okamoto will have a $7 million salary this year and $16 million in each of the following three seasons, according to the Associated Press.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47491589/sources-japanese-3b-kazuma-okamoto-blue-jays-agree-deal

If the Cubs were not willing to beat that, they must not have been all that interested.

I think the Cubs are pretty content with Shaw.  The Hoyer show doesn't give me much hope of annual improvement.  The hope is to be good enough to make the playoffs and then catch lightning in a bottle.  We will never be the most talented team because we won't draft at the top of the 1st round and we won't pay for the best proven players. 

It may not be the worst strategy (as 4 wild card teams have won the WS in the last 15 years), but it is pretty damn frustrating when we are supposed to be a large market team and don't act like one.

The Tucker acquisition was a one-time “opportunity” to consolidate talent (ie gut the farm) save Hoyer's job, and was not resetting the bar on the offensive baseline for the Cubs.

Fixed that for you tico.