The Chicago Cubs have a lead in the National League Central entering play on Thursday. However, the Milwaukee Brewers are closing in and Jed Hoyer may need to be aggressive at the trade deadline to ensure success.
Hoyer has been with the Cubs since 2012. In 2020, he signed a five-year deal that will expire at the end of this season. The Cubs have not had much success in the last five seasons, and FanSided’s Vanessa Serrao suggested Hoyer’s job was “on the line” with the trade deadline looming.
“The Cubs are in first place in the NL Central, and added Kyle Tucker via trade this past winter,” wrote Serrao. “Tucker is on an expiring contract, so Hoyer is under pressure to add to the team now. Starting pitching is the Cubs’ biggest need, as they have dealt with injuries to the likes of Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, who recently made his return from the IL.”
The Cubs made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in league history, at the time of his deal, last year. If the team does not find success in the postseason or misses the postseason entirely, they may point the finger at Hoyer, as opposed to the manager they have invested heavily in.
The Cubs once looked like they could run away with the division. Now they have just a three-game lead on the Brewers, who have one of the best records in baseball since the second half of May.
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Expectations are high for the Cubs after swinging a trade for Tucker, who was named an All-Star starter. The Cubs have a talented team, but if Hoyer cannot find a way to address their weaknesses, it will be easy for the Cubs to justify moving on.
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