Not to split hairs and not that it means anything at this point but w/RISP according to the box scores they were 13-77 in last 8 regular season games and 10-76 in last 6 regular season games and 2 playoff games. It didn't seem right that they were 2-66 bad. Still sucks.
Chicago Cubs 2026
Some of that is because they’ve barely eked into the playoffs in many of those years and had to face better teams that had their starting pitchers lined up and high leverage relievers rested.
It's hard to tell. Sometimes they let Schwarber go for nothing, sometimes they only get a draft pick for Contreras, sometimes they go out and sign Alex Bregman.
NO and the reason is Hoyer has no balls to ask Ricketts for the money
it’s so weird
the value of that club increases by about 1 billion a year , (if not more ) , and they are afraid to spend any of it
They are packing Wrigley almost every game. Why spend more?
oh
I understand that part
one just thinks they would want the thrill of winning a pennant or a WS again
No one thinks of it as Jed's World Series win. It was Theo's.
Have you seen the Cubs operate over the last 100+ years. Unless the "rules" change wildly upon an agreement during the lockout, it'll be the same story. They'll say they're going after them, but will be 3 years and 200M short.
Yes sir. Until they develop a team philosophy that doesn't surround waiting for a three run HR....this will continue. I don't know if Hoyer/Counsell are willing to adopt any true strategic philosophy that starts in rookie ball all the way up through the system.
and Jed hasn't won jack since Theo left, not counting the covid shortened year division title
To be completely fair, while this year(89 wins and a 2 game KO in the playoffs) was a major disappointment, last year(92 wins, WC win and a game 5 loss to Mil) was a nice year. They were one year short of being another victim of the Dodgers. I enjoyed last year a heck of a lot more than this year due to expectations.
Going back, he inherited the fallout of bad contracts (Theo) and was in charge of a massive rebuild. Through the bevvy of trades, PCA did come of it, as did Busch. He brought over Bregman, Suzuki, etc and it was the best offense in baseball (from a stats perspective). We know how badly hitting with RISP and playing small ball went. Not sure that's a Hoyer issue? Don't know.
HOWEVER, the failure to develop pitching is a complete and utter failure. That's been an issue for decades. That's where Milwaukee cleans the Cubs clocks. They dip into their system and pull another superstar arm up. Major problem because they won't go out and pay for a big arm and a lock down pen. Part of that issue is the budget, but it does fall at Hoyer'a feet. This is his product.
2020 was Theo’s last year. Jed can’t even claim that.
Can't pick and choose years. If you go this route, you have to give him credit for cleaning up Theo's contract disasters with the 2016 crew that went dry and in two years had them at 84-78, 92-70(playoffs) and 89-73(playoffs). They won a series last year, then lost in five. Pretty good year. This year, from mid August on, was a flat out disappointment.
Now, what he should be held accountable for is his entire organizations inability to play fundamental ball. Bunting, hitting behind runners, shortening your swings when all you have to do is put the ball in play.... basically giving up ABs for the good of the team. That's a winning philosophy and a winning culture. That starts on draft day/international signing day and it begins on the first day of rookie ball right through Mesa. That's an organizational identity. Tough, hard nosed, gritty, intelligent and focused on winning. They don't have that. Milwaukee does. They go in to that organization with an idea and as guys leave in free agency, they call another one up.
He has to be held accountable for pitching. That farm system produces nothing and those that do come up come with arm troubles. That's a scouting, drafting and development issue. That's on his watch.
A lot of it is on Counsell's watch too(who's a Hoyer hire). He's fine with having a clubhouse of good guys who can't do the little things right. To me, organizational identity is where the change has to happen. They have a golden opportunity to change this philosophy this year because so many contracts come up. Have to bring in guys with a lower K rate, have to turn back the clock on Hoerner and get him back to spraying the ball to all fields vs trying to find power, etc.
Agree completely. I would add one thing - the change that has to happen is also with regard to talent evaluation and scouting. The Cubs do not draft well, do not sign well, and do not trade well for young talent.