Longtime Chicago Cubs executive Jed Hoyer spoke with The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney about his team’s recent play. Hoyer summed it up quickly that they’ve “played poor baseball in a lot of ways” but expressed confidence that there’s a turnaround on the horizon. Hoyer did add that he’s “constantly looking to improve our team”, ideally more so on the lack of home run power in the lineup.
“You need to be able to homer at the right times,” said Hoyer. “And you need to be able to score in bunches. That’s something we haven’t done, especially early. You got to put pressure on the opposing manager. You got to get into the bad part of the bullpen. We haven’t done a good enough job.”
The Cub came out of the gates to a 17-10 start for the first month of the season. However, Chicago has gone 12-19 since then and sitting six games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. However they choose to go about it, the Cubs will be in the market for more depth going into next month’s trade deadline.
Jed Hoyer Addresses Cubs Deadline Approach and Needs
With the Cubs right in the middle of the postseason picture, it’s no surprise Hoyer is looking ahead with a buyer’s attitude. Since April 26, the Cubs ranked last in baseball with a .210 batting average, 11 points below the next-closest team, the Seattle Mariners (.221). A big reason behind the offensive woes has been their approach with runners in scoring position. On Tuesday night, the Cubs had only two hits with runners in scoring position. A top priority will be to add a slugger who can change the game with one swing.
“We need more of that to compete,” Hoyer said.
The Cubs have a losing record and a negative run differential but sit in a Wild Card position. They have about two months to decide what they want to do.
The Cubs Can Circle Back on Some Options
From a speculative point, Chicago should look to add help at third base, catcher or designated hitter. They can circle back to the New York Mets about Pete Alonso and see where the Toronto Blue Jays are with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They can even monitor the situation with Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros before the third baseman becomes a free agent. Cody Bellinger has since taken over first base duties after Michael Busch‘s struggles. If Busch doesn’t improve, he could be optioned to Triple-A Iowa and Bellinger will play at first base full-time, leading to the Cubs targeting an outfielder. If not, then Bellinger can slot into any of three outfield spots and pursue a first baseman.
Taking a look at the catcher market, there could be some available, especially if the Blue Jays or Colorado Rockies are willing to part with Danny Jansen or Elias Díaz. The trade market will continue to come into focus as the deadline warms up. Teams are starting to identify themselves as postseason contenders or look ahead to next season.
“We’re constantly looking to improve our team,” Hoyer said. “We’re talking to people, but I believe in this group.”
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