Is Jed Hoyer a Huckster?

As Chicago Cubs fans wait for the death gurgle of this 2024 season, some are getting the feeling they’ve been scammed by Jed Hoyer. The hiring of Craig Counsell as manager was generally considered a bold move, one thought to be a harbinger of good things to come. Instead, it was more like a placebo for a cancer patient.

The first half of the 2024 Cubs season has revealed the Cubs to be a seriously flawed team. Obviously, the alleged top guys in the Cubs lineup are either underperforming, or perhaps even more worrisome, just not that good. But equally worrisome is the composition of the Cubs bench.

The Cubs have wasted far too much time on guys like Miles Mastrobuoni, Nick Madrigal, and Patrick Wisdom. To say nothing of the train wreck at the catching position.

But what about the farm system?

If the Cubs farm system is really that great, why haven’t we seen more evidence of that on the big-league team? Or why hasn’t some of that farm system capital been used to trade and shore up the catching position or bullpen.

And please don’t say it’s too early to make a move. Actually, it’s now too late to make a move to save the 2024 season. Nice work, Jed.

Hoyer obviously overestimated the quality of the team in Chicago, but is it possible he’s done the same with the farm system?

Early returns from the farm aren’t great

One of the early fruits of the farm system is Miguel Amaya. He’s just about on par with White Sox catcher, Martin Maldonado. Maldonado may be the worst player in major league baseball.

Pete Crow-Armstong is now getting some playing time. While he’s exciting, he can’t be confused with being good while he’s hitting around .200.

What’s going on down on the farm?

Frankly, the Iowa Cubs aren’t tearing it up. The Iowa Cubs have a record of 37-47, strikingly similar to the Chicago Cubs record. Brennen Davis has shown some power with 10 home runs in 105 at bats. He’s hitting only .229 but has an OBP of .390 and a slug of .543.

Alexander Canario has a similar profile featuring power but a low batting average. In 215 at bats, Canario has slugged 15 home runs while hitting .242 and an OPS .845.

Owen Caissie is another highly touted outfielder in Iowa. He’s a left-handed hitter, currently hitting .275 with an OPS of .824.

Here are the guys to really keep an eye on

After a really slow start in AA, Matt Shaw has really heated up. His numbers at Tennessee look pedestrian because of a slow start, but he seems poised to go to AAA soon. And he’s an infielder. He may be the Cubs answer to their black hole at third base. or even second base if Nico Hoerner is traded.

Moises Ballesteros provides some hope at catcher. He is a left-handed hitter whose bat would probably play at the major league level right now. His defense is a question. Also, he’s listed at 5’7″ and 195 pounds. And those 195 pounds seems to be a conservative estimate.

So, is Jed a huckster?

I did a little research on just what a huckster is. I found the original meaning of huckster was a person who sold small things. Like Madrigal as a third baseman or Jose Cuas as bullpen help?

In Scotland it referred to a person, who, often a woman, who bought goods, watered them down, and then sold them to poor people.

Obviously, the woman part of the definition doesn’t fit. You can decide about the watered-down part of that analogy.