Cubs Week In Review: Personnel Shake Ups, Hoyer Presser Mark Start of Pivotal Cubs' Offseason

With the MLB playoffs bringing October heat in other major markets like New York, the North Side of Chicago begins its long offseason slumber. If this last week was any indication, maybe, just maybe, the organization, through numerous and significant changes, knows it's time to wake up. As we start acquainting ourselves with the remaining postseason clubs vying for World Series glory, one thing is abundantly clear: success is out there and up for grabs in Major League Baseball. Should you seek proof of this, look no further than AJ Hinch and his scrappy Detroit Tigers, who, after deleting perennial postseason stalwart Houston, hold designs on canceling Jhonkensy Noel and crew's "Big Christmas" up in Cleveland. 

If the Motown Cats turned 0.2% playoff odds into 100%, why can't the Cubs do so as well? Those answers, with correlating insights, belong to a different piece in the near future. Still, at the very least, the actions taken this past week demonstrated at least the impression of frustration and discontent from the club's front office. So, what were those actions?

A whole lot of coaching changes. Let's investigate who, what, and how these changes affect the Cubbies' makeup and philosophy. First base coach Mike Napoli, hitting coach Jim Adduci, bullpen coach Darren Holmes, and a pair of strength coaches have all been dismissed. I don't want heads to roll; I want to make deep runs in the postseason. These moves won't resonate significantly until next season begins in earnest, but one big thing it allows is Craig Counsell's license to build a proper staff. 

When you look at the roles these former Cubs coaches occupied, they magnify glaring deficiencies in categories that doomed the North Siders' playoff hopes in 2024. Jim Adduci, for instance, was the hitting coach for a team that turned in a .242 combined batting average. Now, this was for many documented reasons, not the least of which were the mighty winds of Wrigley, but that specific position was an obvious place to look to. On the other hand, Mike Napoli and Darren Holmes helmed positions that, at best, were inconsistent in producing success for the Chicago Cubs. 

Who is at fault? One obvious individual is the one you're thinking of: Jed Hoyer. Did he have anything to say about his team's performance? You bet he did. This past Tuesday, he delivered his end-of-season address, and the sound bites that came out of it, at the very least, highlighted his awareness that a plethora of this franchise's stakeholders are fed up with the playoff absences he has become the face of since the end of the 2017 campaign. 

Hoyer does not necessarily come across as a proponent of revisionist history but as one who seems out of touch even after failing to meet self-appointed elevated goals. His and Tom Rickett's cold feet regarding long-term top-tier free-agent signings have left this team in place of good enough but not great enough. Said Hoyer:

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"When I think about our season and where we are, I'm disappointed but optimistic."

We're disappointed, too, Jed. He and the organization have the most inside track on what changes are coming down the pipeline, and indeed, if they are enough to alter the fortunes of this club radically, it remains to be seen. Adding an "established starter" like Corbin Burnes (please!) would certainly do the trick if a tutorial is not provided. A frugal track record leaves supporters of this squad wondering if this season's failures are finally the turning point in restoring the Cubs to a place of desired prominence.

So, with the offseason commencing, we have our heading in what must happen. The road laid before this club in securing a joyful future is long.