(670 The Score) In detailing how the Cubs seek to find every small advantage they can in every department of the organization, general manager Carter Hawkins shared a comparison. The team, he explained, wants to be the house rather than the bettor in its quest to foster a winning culture by holding advantages on the margins.
And to that end, Hawkins is plenty confident in the Cubs’ infrastructure, scouting processes and player development system as the start of the 2023 regular season draws near.
“Hopefully a lot,” Hawkins said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Tuesday when asked how much further along a player could hypothetically be with the Cubs rather than a replacement-level organization years down the road. “Otherwise, we would never take the time to try to find great coaches. We would never take the time to try to find good resources. We would never focus on professional development. We would never look for tools that can help us get a competitive edge. And we do. We’ve spent a ton a time on that. Why? Because we think that hopefully, we can put together a process that’s better than the other 29 teams – and then do that over and over again. So the short answer is a lot. I can’t put a number on it, but our hope would be that because a player is with us, they’re going to get better than they would have with any of the other 29 clubs. That has to be our goal.”
The Cubs are coming off a disappointing 74-88 season in 2022 but made a handful of important additions in free agency in the offseason, including the addition of shortstop Dansby Swanson and right-hander Jameson Taillon. Their hope is to contend for the division title in 2023 and then ascend beyond soon after.
“We definitely have the tools, we definitely have the process, we definitely have the people (to succeed),” Hawkins said. “It’s just about taking the time and the boring discipline to implement that process. I think at the end of the day, we’re going to have a lot of success here.”
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