Although “not enough wins” would probably be the most succinct description of the Cubs era directly preceding the current team, I think a more accurate complaint would be the lack of “big-boy” moves from the front office. You know the sort – a bullying transaction of any kind that other organizations with similar revenues, markets, and valuations as the Cubs seem to make all the time.
But lately (as in, the last couple of seasons), the Cubs have changed that narrative big-time, and I’m just so here for it.
Remember, not every big-boy move is going to work out perfectly, but they are inarguably the type of swings you want a team like the Cubs to make routinely.
Here are the five that stand out most to me in chronological order.
1. Cubs Steal Craig Counsell
Whether or not you are a fan of Craig Counsell (I am a big fan, personally), taking arguably a top-3 most respected manager away from your biggest rival and making him the highest paid manager in the league is a big boy move. Bully factor high, financial outlay high, big-boy move from top to bottom.
2. Trading for Kyle Tucker
Whether or not this move “worked out” is kind of tough to say. On the one hand, Tucker had a pretty brutal second half of the season last year, and his one year of club control cost the Cubs a very pretty penny in trade. Tucker also didn’t become a beloved player – by any stretch of the imagination – and it doesn’t seem like the team had any real interest in extending him. On the other hand, his overall contributions to the team – especially in the first half of last year – propelled the Cubs into the playoffs, where they were able to secure five postseason home games.
And those five postseason home games, as I discussed (and was confirmed by Cubs business president Crane Kenney earlier this week), had a big influence on the Cubs’ ability to go over the top for Alex Bregman this offseason.
But again, even if you didn’t think this “worked out,” remember, not every big boy move will. But making them consistently is what we, as fans, want to see.
3. Trading for Edward Cabrera
This offseason, one year after trading some of their best prospects for Kyle Tucker, the Cubs went back to the cupboard and dealt their best prospect, Owen Caissie (plus others), for three years of one of the most highly sought-after starters on the trade market.
Edward Cabrera has ace upside, plenty of risk, but also three years of club control. But, again, swinging that trade while the farm system is on the downswing took guts. And I’m glad the Cubs had the guts to do what needed to be done. They needed a guy like Edward Cabrera, and they got him.
4. Signing Alex Bregman
This one is pretty self-explanatory, right? Not only did the Cubs go out and sign a player to one of the priciest free agent contracts in team history, but that player was on the older end of the spectrum AND plays a position the Cubs could have conceivably covered internally with one of their top young players/prospects, Matt Shaw.
Moreover, the Cubs seemingly changed something of an organizational rule by deferring money and adding a no-trade clause to get the deal done. Those are big-boy changes for a big-boy move. Whether it works out is TBD. But you have to like that they did it.
5. Extending PCA and Nico Hoerner
Just before the season kicked into gear, the Cubs executed on two very different but very exciting extensions.
First, they gave Pete Crow-Armstrong essentially a record-breaking extension for a player in his position contractually. In so doing, they locked him up for two additional years and kept one of their most marketable players in Chicago with certainty through his twenties. The overall cash guarantee isn’t enormous in an absolute sense, but securing just two more years of free agency (with no club options) all while doing it five years from free agency, was big time.
Second, and most recently, the Cubs looked at their 28-year-old second baseman, who is just months away from free agency and coming off a career-year, and they gave him SIX seasons on an extension, with no club options. Once again, with Matt Shaw just sitting right there as a seemingly defensible replacement if no deal got done.
Nico Hoerner is also one of the most beloved Cubs of this era, and they just effectively made him a Cub for life. How can you not love that?
***
Who knows how we feel about all of these moves a few years from now, but in this moment, I am feeling about as much positivity and optimism about this version of the Cubs as I have in almost a decade. And that’s because, for whatever reason, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have flipped their typical M.O. and started making big-boy moves. Kudos to them. Now, let’s go out and win some stuff.
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