It’s been a long, cold offseason so far for the Chicago Cubs, but according to veteran president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, there’s still a long way to go.
Hoyer offered Cubs fans some solace and asked them to practice patience after the Cubs left the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando without making a meaningful signing or move.
Not only have the Cubs failed to lock in free agents, they also have not been linked to any marquee names, including Kyle Tucker who played for the Cubs in 2025.
But the Cubs aren’t the only team to leave Florida without making a substantial move. But there still is about two months until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, leaving ample time for Hoyer to make a move.
Jed Hoyer: Winter Meetings Are ‘The Beginning Of The Real Offseason’
The Cubs offseason has been going since they were ousted in the NLDS by the Milwaukee Brewers, but the hot stove only starts heating up now, according to Hoyer.
âThis is sort of the beginning of the real offseason in a lot of ways,â Hoyer said this week, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. âIâve made a lot more deals in the week after or a couple weeks after based on things that happen here, than [I’ve made] here. If you donât have close to a deal coming in here, sometimes itâs hard to get there.”
Hoyer cited his signing of left-handed starter Jon Lester in 2014, which came at the Winter Meetings in San Diego, as the exception and not the rule.
Even though both Edwin Diaz (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles) signed with new teams while at the Winter Meetings, and rival clubs made picks at the Rule 5 Draft, Hoyer remembers the offseason can be a marathon.
âThereâs no finish line at the end of this,â Hoyer said. âA lot of deals happen after this.â
Cubs Eyeing Bullpen Help
Though their offense will suffer when Tucker inevitably leaves, Chicago was fifth in the majors, and third in the NL, in runs scored (793) in 2025.
So Chicago is, like most teams, trying to improve its pitching, especially its bullpen. The Cubs were 11th in the majors in bullpen ERA (3.78) and was keyed by a breakout year from 25-year-old closer Daniel Palencia.
Still, the Cubs are going to try and have more of a plan with their bullpen in 2025, which is what manager Craig Counsell articulated.
“What we thought about our bullpen going into the season â just reread it, what we thought â we were wrong,” Counsell told Bastian. “We ended up pitching pretty well, but I think [compared to] the start of the season it maybe wasnât the guys that we expected to do it.
To Counsell’s point, 11 different Cubs pitchers recorded at least one regular-season save in 2025, and Palencia had three wins and zero saves in the postseason — leaving Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller to lock down three of their four postseason victories.
“I think [the plan] is, get a bunch of good arms and kind of see what happens,” Counsell said, “and have enough ability to pivot when you have to during the season.â
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