Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday that the team is looking at its future, not the 2024 season, when considering deals at the upcoming trade deadline.
The Cubs entered the week in fourth place in the National League Central — just a half-game above the last-place Cincinnati Reds — but are just 3 1/2 games out of the final NL wild-card spot.
“Where we are right now, I would have to say that moves only for 2024 — unless things change over the next week — we probably won’t do a lot of moves that only help us for this year,” Hoyer told reporters.
“If moves help us for 2025 and beyond I think we’re exceptionally well-positioned. I think that’s what our focus will be, but just helping ‘24 probably won’t be our focus.”
The Cubs know how things can change over a few summer weeks. The club stood at 45-51 after July 20 of last season. Chicago won its next eight games and went as many as 12 games above .500 in early September before narrowly missing the playoffs at 83-79.
Things took a turn for the worse this year, with losing streaks of five games in May and four games in June hampering any hopes of making the postseason this time around.
“We had two months of playing really poorly,” Hoyer said. “That put us in a poor position.”
The trade deadline is July 30, and veterans like starting pitcher Jameson Taillon or relievers Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. may be examples of older players who don’t fit into the Cubs’ long-term plans.
Hoyer feels the Cubs have the organizational depth to return to competing for the playoffs in 2025.
“The future is really bright given the farm system,” Hoyer said. “I feel really good about how we’re positioned for the future and beyond. I think our moves will reflect that at the deadline.”