Franchise-altering roster decisions await Jed Hoyer as the Chicago Cubs' new baseball boss

When the Chicago Cubs were negotiating with five-star free-agent manager Joe Maddon six years ago, Jed Hoyer performed the ominous task of flying to San Diego County to inform incumbent Rick Renteria he was about to be replaced despite the team’s seven-game improvement in his first season.

But that assignment seems inconsequential now compared to what awaits Hoyer in his new position as Cubs president of baseball operations.

“Jed is going to put his fingerprints on this team, and Theo Epstein’s departure has allowed him to do this,” said a source who has worked with Hoyer and Epstein with the Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

“But he has to choose which players to build around. He can’t keep them all. And rebuilding while still competing is tough to do.”

It’s especially tough in the COVID-19 era, when it’s still unclear whether fans will be admitted to home ballparks to boost revenues. And that’s likely to impact the number of teams willing to give up prospects for only one guaranteed year of service for Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber — who all can become free agents after 2021.

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There is also a Dec. 2 tender date looming by which Hoyer and his assistants must decide whether to offer a contract to arbitration-eligible players such as Schwarber, who is coming off a rough 60-game season — if he’s not traded before that deadline.

Hoyer, 46, handled many duties in his previous role as Cubs general manager and must select a successor who will not serve exclusively as a yes man. Hoyer had input in the retooling of the baseball operations department last year, and his successor must be receptive to keeping that transition cohesive.

But in the end, Hoyer will be judged on the results of his decisions.

“When he took over (as Padres GM in 2009), he said, ‘Bud, I’m an open book,’ “ said now-Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black of their first meetings in San Diego. “This is my first (GM) gig. I’m open to discussion.

“The talks were collaborative. But yes, he definitely can pull the trigger.”

Black recalled how determined Hoyer was to acquire Anthony Rizzo from the Red Sox as the centerpiece of a trade for Adrian Gonzalez.

“Of course, when Jed rejoined Theo in Chicago, he made sure they’d get Rizzo back,” Black smirked.

For the Cubs now, the reservoir of resources is considerably shallower after massive layoffs in the baseball operations department that might cause Hoyer to lean more heavily on analytics than the scouting and player development departments.

That is expected to be clarified early next week when Hoyer meets with the media.

There already is an analytic lean to the team, and the next assistant hitting coach is expected to process data while working with head hitting coach Anthony Iapoce.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Hoyer will downplay the significance of the general manager position. Jared Porter worked with Hoyer with the Red Sox and Cubs before completing his fourth season as senior vice president and assistant general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Amiel Sawdaye, who holds the same title with the Diamondbacks, also worked with Hoyer in Boston, with an emphasis on amateur scouting. They were two of six finalists for the Los Angeles Angels GM job.

Within the organization, Jason McLeod, the senior vice president of player personnel, has interviewed with several teams for GM positions over the years. One source viewed Jeff Greenberg, the director of pro scouting and baseball operations, as a viable GM candidate.

“He’s sharp, yet he’s not afraid to ask what needs to be done,” the source said. “He doesn’t pretend to know everything.”

On the roster front, there will be plenty of ramifications should Hoyer trade any of his four potential 2021 free agents. Many of the Cubs top prospects, led by left-hander Brailyn Marquez, outfielder Brennen Davis and catcher Miguel Amaya, missed a full season of development because of COVID-19 shutting things down and likely will need a full year of minor-league seasoning before they’re strongly considered for full-time roles in the majors.

Even if the Cubs acquire at least one major-league-ready starting pitcher and position player through a trade, they’ll still need to add upper-minor-league depth to bridge the gap between the major-league roster and top prospects who haven’t played at the Double-A level.

Hoyer ultimately could decide whether the organization will fully shift away its method of drafting and developing position players and signing free-agent pitchers to compose the bulk of its major-league roster.

The development of Marquez, Ryan Jensen, Cory Abbott, Riley Thompson, Tyson Miller and Kohl Franklin could help that transition.

“Jed has a nice balance,” Black said. “He knows when to come downstairs to discuss a baseball move or talk baseball. He also knows how important it is to not be overbearing, which is always good to see.”

Hoyer has a strong relationship with manager David Ross. But faced with the Cubs’ gradual decline since the 2016 World Series title, Hoyer has the task of replacing pillars on the field and repairing a foundation that has cracked through layoffs and a lack of results.

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