Jed Hoyer’s chief mantra is – ‘Sustainability’. Ever since he took over the President role in 2020, Hoyer has worked towards ensuring that the Chicago Cubs remain competitive but in a sustainable way. Though that has led to momentary pains, the North Siders have improved every season. Now the team is looking to take the next step with Cody Bellinger. But despite all of this, the Cubs look adamant in one important decision. 

Despite being financially prudent, it’s undeniable that the Cubs are a huge team. With some of the deepest resources at their disposal, the North Siders can compete with the biggest of boys. But the Cubs have been there and done that in 2016. Now they want to do something different. 

Chicago Cubs try to find a perfect balance

The Athletic recently reported that despite targeting Cody Bellinger, a big part of 2024 will be “creating opportunities for young talent.” This is another step in Hoyer’s ultimate dream of creating a highly competitive team that doesn’t overindulge in the market. One could call this being frugal, but Hoyer has his reasons for following this method. 

The Chicago Cubs were regularly overspending in the 2010s. This did help them in creating a team that ended their 108-year World Series drought in 2016, but what happened next was nothing short of tragic. In a mere two years after their win, the Cubs’ squad collapsed. Years of high spending came back to bite them and the North Siders were back to square one. 

Jed Hoyer was the GM during that time and learned his lessons. So when he became the president in 2020, Hoyer’s first step was to impart a strict financial policy and increase the focus on youth. A young core was the secret sauce of success for the Cubs in 2016 and Hoyer is aiming to recreate it again, albeit in a more stable way. 

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With the likes of Michael Busch, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Cade Horton – the Cubs are creating a team of players hungry for opportunities. This could be a high-risk plan, but it also has high rewards attached to it. So this brings us to the central issue – what about Cody Bellinger?

Delays in the Cody Bellinger deal look imminent

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently revealed that Scott Boras might delay Bellinger’s deal even more. He wrote, “Multiple executives interested in signing Boras’ top clients agreed that none of the four is likely to sign before the calendar turns to February”. This makes it easier to understand why the Cubs are so focused on young players. 

Even though the Cubbies are favorites, the Bellinger still isn’t imminent. As a result, betting your horses on a player who still isn’t yours doesn’t seem like a Jed Hoyer move. So even though the Cubs remain interested, they seem clear about their direction with or without Bellinger.

Read more: Scott Boras Set for a 2018 Repeat This Off-Season, Should Cody Bellinger and Blake Snell Worry?