Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer Addresses Craig Counsell's Comment About 'Big Gap'

The Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Ops. heard Craig Counsell's comments about the gap in the NL Central.

Sep 21, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Patrick Wisdom (16) celebrates with manager Craig Counsell after his home run against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs skipper Craig Counsell put some pressure on the front office last week, saying there's a "big gap" between them and the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

Counsell's comments were more than fair, as he's seen firsthand what type of organization the Brewers are. Sure, they haven't done much in the postseason in recent years, but they've dominated the NL Central.

At the very least, that's the position the Cubs need to be in moving forward.

It's not a secret how to get there for Chicago, either. In fact, it's quite simple. If the Cubs want to be the team that runs the division in the future, they need to win this offseason.

The only way to do that is by spending money or making trades to better the roster.

That'll all be up to Jed Hoyer, Chicago's President of Baseball Operations. Hoyer has plenty of challenges, but if he fails again, there's a chance he might lose his job.

And don't think he didn't hear Counsell's comments. He heard them loud and clear, actually.

“When I saw his comments,” Hoyer said Monday night, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, “I mean, listen, the standings don't lie. You are what you are. And I think when you look at the standings, there's a big gap in the standings. There's a big gap to the rest of the division.

“And I think we do have to -- all of us, from me on down -- we have to look at it and say, ‘OK, what do we have to do this offseason and going forward to get to that place consistently? It's not about doing it once. It's about getting to a place where we feel like we can do it consistently.”

Bastian added that the Cubs don't view this offseason as one that needs a "dramatic overhaul."

"To that last point, the Cubs do not view this as a situation in need of a dramatic overhaul with a wild spending spree ahead of 2025. Both Counsell and Hoyer still believe in the health of the organization."

It's questionable why they wouldn't feel as such, as there have been plenty of reasons given to them that should make Chicago think about making an overhaul.

Hoyer and the rest of the front office can chalk this year up to anything they want, but the facts are right in front of them.

Unless they add more talent to the roster, the Cubs can expect similar results moving forward.