Chicago Cubs Reward Top Exec Jed Hoyer With Contract Extension

Almost nine years after eating roasted goat in left field seats at Wrigley Field the day after the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series, Cubs’ president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was given more time for another bite.

In the midst of the Cubs’ best season since, Hoyer’s job security after an underachieving four seasons is no longer an issue.

The Cubs put that to bed Monday, when the sides agreed to a multi-year contract extension to replace the current five-year deal that Hoyer signed after taking over as the Cubs’ president of baseball operations after Theo Epstein left following the 2020 season. The two orchestrated the moves that led the Cubs to the 2016 championship.

The Cubs were tied with Milwaukee for the best record in the National League entering games of Monday, and with that management stepped in to quell any remaining uncertainty.

“Jed and his baseball operations staff have built a healthy player development organization and put an exciting, playoff-contending team on the field,” Cubs president Tom Ricketts said in a press release.

“We are looking forward to the rest of the season and to working with Jed for years to come.”

The length of the extension was not announced, but it leaves no question that the other major league teams in the hunt for top executives — Washington fired World Series-winning general manager Mike Rizzo three weeks weeks ago — must look elsewhere.

Hoyer signed manager Craig Counsell to a five-year, $40 million contract before last season, and pressure on Hoyer mounted when his first season ended 83-79, the same as just-fired manager David Ross.

This year’s turnaround has been convincing, and the new deal will give Hoyer more freedom to deal before Thursday’s trade deadline, where the Cubs are targeting pitching, starters and relievers. Washington’s MacKenzie Gore and Arizona’s pair of Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are possible additions.

Hoyer’s Bold Move For Tucker a Winner

Hoyer engineered a series of decisive moves in the offseason in an attempt get the Cubs out of the doldrums, and the industry-shaker was the trade for Kyle Tucker.

Hoyer acquired potential free agent Tucker from the Houston Astros for outfield prospect Cam Smith, productive third baseman Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Weneski.

It was a gamble, ongoing. The Cubs are guaranteed only one year of Tucker, whose contract expires after this season, and lost six years of Smith, one of their best minor league prospects. Smith is the Astros’ right fielder and lead off hitter.

Tucker has proven to be worth it. He is slashing .274/.384/.488 with 18 homers, 59 homers and 23 stolen bases. With break-out center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and DH Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs have one of the most potent middle-of-the order groups in the majors.

The Cubs were third in the majors with 155 homers and a .769 OPS, and their run differential of plus-116 led the majors. FanGraphs gave them a 96.7 percent chance to make the postseason.

Crow-Armstrong is among Hoyer’s trade haul, which also included first baseman Michael Busch and shortstop Dansby Swanson. They stepped into the Japanese market by adding Suzuki and left-hander Shota Imanaga.

Hoyer’s next task will be to ensure that Tucker remains in Wrigley Field for the foreseeable future, the final part of the equation. (Tucker is represented by Excel Sports Management, which has Swanson among its clients.)

Hoyer’s Margin Calls Have Paid Off

The Tucker deal made the biggest noise, but the Cubs would not be where they are without the roster pieces Hoyer added from the free agent market.

Left-hander Matthew Boyd whose career has been plagued by arm injuries, has been the 11-win ace of he staff after signing a two-year, $29 million free agent contract over the winter. Right-hander Colin Rea has eight wins on a bargain one-year, $5 million deal.

Boyd and Rea have been especially valuable on a staff that lost projected No. 2 starter Justin Steele to Tommy John surgery three weeks into the season and are expected to be without Jameson Taillon for a month because of a right calf injury.

Catcher Carson Kelly, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million free agent deal, has 13 homers in one of the best seasons of a 10-year career. He has taken up the slack left by the of starter Miguel Amaya, who has been out since May 25.