Jed Hoyer Nearing End of GM Search, Could Make Decision Next Week
According to Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Jed Hoyer is nearing the end of his lengthy search for a new general manager and has narrowed the list of potential candidates to four. Though Hoyer declined to provide specifics during his recent end-of-season press conference, he is reportedly focusing on execs from outside the organization who have a background in player development.
While it’s possible there are still more candidates in the mix for a role that has remained vacant ever since Hoyer took over for Theo Epstein last year, Sharma and Mooney listed four names among the finalists. All are from front offices considered to be forward-thinking and all have hands-on experience across different levels of the sport. And even in other sports for at least one of them.
Carter Hawkins is an assistant general manager in Cleveland, where he rose through the ranks from his start as a scouting intern in 2008. James Harris is Cleveland’s VP of player development and previously worked with football coach Chip Kelly at the University of Oregon and the Philadelphia Eagles. Harris is apparently well-versed in sports science, among other things.
Twins assistant general manager Jeremy Zoll has previously worked with the Dodgers and Angels, so he has gained knowledge from a variety of different organizations. His focus is now on minor-league ops for a team not known as a big spender, but it’s notable that his previous two stops are no strangers to carrying big payrolls. The Dodgers have cultivated success through a mix of strong development and heavy spending, something the Cubs should be emulating.
Carlos Rodriguez is a native of Puerto Rico and started out as an international scout before becoming the Rays’ VP of player development and international scouting. Tampa is obviously known for identifying and developing talent, both on the field and in the front office, and the organization’s fingerprints are all over other successful front offices at this point.
Hey, it worked out pretty well the last time the Cubs plucked a leader from the Rays.
The Athletic reports that the Cubs could name their new GM as soon as next week, just ahead of the League Championship Series, so expect to hear some more rumblings over the next few days. Hoyer has said he wants this rebuild to be quicker than the last he was part of and he’s also said he intends to spend some money this winter, albeit in a very intelligent manner.
Sure would make sense to get that new voice in the room soon in order to start plotting that course, whether it’s identifying power arms at a good value or finding out how to construct a balanced roster for the first time in several years.
