Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer did not have a perfect offseason. The Alex Bregman whiff was a frustrating one, and the bullpen did not receive as much attention as it should have. With that being said, Hoyer did make several strong moves leading to the team's fast start to the 2025 MLB season.
The Cubs enter Thursday's action leading the NL Central with a 25-19 record and leading the majors with a +86 run differential. Sure, this team has holes that Hoyer must address by July's trade deadline, but with the right moves, it would not be shocking to see this Cubs team go on a deep postseason run.
The moves Hoyer made over the winter are a big reason that the Cubs are where they are right now.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
3) Matthew Boyd looks like one of the biggest steals of the offseason
Cubs fans had no idea what they were going to get when the team signed Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal. He's always had a good amount of talent, but injuries and the home run ball have plagued him over the course of his career. Well, with the Cubs, he's been healthy and extraordinary.
The southpaw has a 2.78 ERA in eight starts and 45.1 innings of work. Despite being signed to be a back-end starter, he has, by virtually any metric, been the team's best and most consistent starting pitcher thus far. He has gone at least six innings in five of his eight starts and has given up two runs or fewer six times this season. He has completed five innings and allowed three runs or fewer every time he's taken the ball.
Starting pitching has never been more expensive than it is right now. Despite that, Cubs fans were hoping the team would sign a marquee free agent like Corbin Burnes. While that would've been fun, especially given Burnes' Milwaukee Brewers connection, the team has gotten unbelievable bang for its buck with Matthew Boyd. With Justin Steele done for the season and both Javier Assad and Shota Imanaga sidelined right now, the Cubs have needed every bit of what they've gotten from Boyd.
2) Carson Kelly has broken out seemingly out of nowhere
Cubs fans became increasingly frustrated when the team missed out on free agency catchers like Travis d'Arnaud, Danny Jansen, and Kyle Higashioka while settling on Carson Kelly. Sure, Kelly was fine for a backup, but Cubs fans wanted more. Well, in hindsight, he's not only been a brilliant addition, but he's performed like one of the best catchers in the game seemingly out of nowhere.
Kelly entered this season with a .681 OPS through parts of nine MLB seasons for four different teams. That's perfectly serviceable for a backup catcher, but nothing more. This season, he has nearly doubled that OPS mark and has taken Miguel Amaya's starting job as a result.
Kelly is slashing .289/.429/.627 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 27 games this season. Among catchers with at least 100 plate appearances, Kelly leads the majors with a 1.055 OPS, is tied for third with eight home runs, and sits fourth with 23 RBI. He has done this despite not even being given the starting job until recently.
Will he continue this all season? Almost certainly not. Still, at two years, $11.5 million, the Cubs have gotten way more than anyone could've expected in his 10th season after being nothing more than mediocre in the first nine. The fact that he was once a top Cardinals prospect makes his sudden emergence that much sweeter for Cubs fans.
1) The Kyle Tucker risk is looking worthwhile for the Cubs
Hoyer took arguably the biggest risk of the winter, trading Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith, and Hayden Wesneski for Kyle Tucker in his final year under club control. Cubs fans knew that Tucker the player was worth acquiring, but also feared the worst regarding his upcoming free agency. They did not want a Juan Soto situation on their hands.
Tucker has not signed an extension and could very well leave this upcoming winter, but given how the trade has aged right now, Hoyer deserves a lot of credit. Tucker has had a monster year, slashing .263/.371/.526 with 10 home runs, 33 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. His presence has also led to the team around him clicking on all cylinders offensively. They lead the National League in runs scored as of this writing.
Tucker was the star that the Cubs needed to seriously compete, and what makes this deal better is that the Astros haven't gotten all that much in return yet. Paredes has been fine, Smith has mostly struggled to begin his MLB career, and Wesneski is currently injured. There's obviously a long way to go before we can fairly judge this trade in its totality, but right now, given Tucker's impact, the Cubs deserve nothing but praise for how the deal has aged.