(670 The Score) A day after officially trading ace Yu Darvish to the Padres in a seven-player deal, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer on Wednesday detailed the transitionary period the franchise finds itself in.
The Cubs acquired right-hander Zach Davies and four young prospects from the Padres in exchange for Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini, a move that pointed the organization’s direction beyond 2021. When exactly will winning in the present be the top priority again? That remains unclear, though Hoyer did indicate it’s sooner than the big league timelines of the one 17-year-old, two 18-year-olds and one 20-year-old the Cubs received from the Padres who are years away still.
“Right now, we are in this period at the end of the window,” Hoyer said. “To go out in the free-agent market and spend a lot of money would not make sense. We just did that over the last six years. Right now, having an eye toward the future is really important. Once we feel we are at a place where we want to step on the gas again, we will do so financially. We were over the luxury tax the last two years.”
While the Cubs have taken criticism from some across the baseball landscape for their return in the Darvish deal after he finished as the National League Cy Young runner-up in 2020, Hoyer defended the move and added marquee free-agent signings will be the team’s future again – at some point.
“We will spend again and be in that (lucrative) free-agent market again,” Hoyer said. “We signed Darvish to a $126-million deal after 2017. We did it to be aggressive and try to win with this group over the last three years. We are able now to trade that contract and get back a really good pitcher and four prospects. That is the definition of a successful transaction. When we signed that deal, we were really trying to be competitive at the end of this window for this group. We had some success. It was the right time to spend on Darvish in 2018. But to go out and go out into the free-agent market like that in 2021, I don't think that would be the right thing to do. Now to be able to trade Yu and reset our farm system and get a system to replenish is a transaction you take all day long.”
The Cubs are at the end of their current era because the likes of third baseman Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Javier Baez and reliever Craig Kimbrel are all in the final seasons of their contract. That means more trades are likely this offseason or before the trade deadline.
Not long after news of the Darvish trade broke, USA Today reported the Cubs are shopping catcher Willson Contreras on the trade market as well. While Hoyer called that report “fictional,” the Cubs have previously had trade discussions with opposing teams about Contreras. And the fact remains that it would be smart for the Cubs to get value in return for players with expiring contracts if they’re going to leave in free agency anyway.
As for the makeup of the current team, Hoyer still believes it can be competitive in the NL Central despite dealing away an ace in Darvish. Of course, the Cubs have plenty of holes to fill – notably in their rotation and in the outfield.
“We will be in the free-agent market and look to supplement this group,” Hoyer said. "We are talking to agents, and we know there are holes on the roster we need to address. I am not going to sit here and say we will not make any more trades. If they make sense to us, we will do them. Those deals would be done with an eye on the future. It will not be done because of cost-cutting.
“At some point, you have to think about the future a little bit. Do I believe we will have a competitive team this year? Absolutely. Do I think this is the year to spend and take on older players to satisfy something that you don't think is the right thing to do? I don't think that is the right thing right now. I don't think being in the big free-agent market for the Cubs is the right thing to do.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.