Latest Report Doesn’t Sound Promising on Chicago Cubs Spending Heavily in Offseason

There shouldn't be a scenario where the Chicago Cubs don't spend as much as needed in the offseason.

Jan 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer talks to the media after introducing pitcher Shota Imanaga (not pictured) during a press conference at Loews Chicago Hotel. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

There wasn't an area on the Chicago Cubs roster in 2024 that didn't need to be improved. Simply put, the Cubs lacked in nearly every position for much of the campaign. 

Heading into the offseason, there aren't many reasons for not improving their roster.

If Jed Hoyer doesn't put together a team that could make the postseason in 2025, there should be little to no chance that he returns in the following offseason. Frankly, one could already argue that he shouldn't have a job entering this offseason.

He's had time to put together a competent team, and instead of doing so, Chicago has failed time and time again. 

Of the areas they could look to improve include the bullpen. Having an elite bullpen is one of the most important parts of winning in October, which should be what the Cubs are looking to do. 

However, in a recent column from Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, it doesn't sound like Chicago will spend money on their bullpen. 

"It’s important to remember that Hodge was on very few radars at this point last year. Nobody thought Miller would be as impactful as he was or that López would return to his dominant form. Some laughed at the idea of acquiring Pearson, but the Cubs quickly made adjustments that helped him be more productive and have more planned for this winter. That is one big reason fans shouldn’t expect Hoyer to depart too drastically from his normal thought process when it comes to building a bullpen. Finding more depth and ensuring that early-season failures don’t sink the team are imperative. But spending outlandish amounts of money on a reliever just isn’t the answer for this group."

As Sharma alluded, spending big money on a reliever isn't always the wisest decision. However, if there's a scenario where they could land an arm like Jeff Hoffman, who's been one of the top relievers in Major League Baseball this year, they should be willing to spend the type of money they'd have to in order to land him.

If it's another offseason that the Cubs have to work under a budget, they shouldn't expect to find much success in 2025.

They have all the pieces to improve in the winter, including prospects in potential trades. However, spending money is the best way to improve a team. 

They have to be willing to do that if they want to win.