Cubs' Carter Hawkins Reportedly On NL Team's GM Candidate Short List

Coming into the season, the future about the Chicago Cubs' front office wasn't set in stone.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was on an expiring contract at the end of the year, and there was speculation that a change could be made if the Cubs had another disappointing season on his watch.

But after landing Kyle Tucker this past winter in a move that was the most aggressive thing the franchise has done in a while, Chicago got out to a great start and look to be among the true contenders in the National League.

That prompted owner Tom Ricketts and the board of directors to extend Hoyer a multi-year contract, something that will keep the current executive at the helm during this championship window that appears to be open.

However, there's a chance some changes to the Cubs' front office could come, because, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, general manager Carter Hawkins is on the short list of candidates the Washington Nationals would like to interview for their open GM role.

The Washington Nationals have begun interviewing GM candidates after firing Mike Rizzo in July. He was replaced on an interim basis with Mike DeBartolo.
Chicago Cubs GM Carter Hawkins is on the Nationals short list.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 9, 2025

This is notable because Hawkins was the first hire by Hoyer when he was named to his current role.
Hired as the president of baseball operations following the 2020 season after Theo Epstein resigned from that position, Hoyer poached Hawkins from the then-Cleveland Indians.

Hawkins held the title of assistant general manager with Cleveland at that time, but he had previously come up the ranks on the scouting side of things, working his way up from an advanced scouting intern into the director of player development before his promotion to assistant GM.

During his tenure with the Cubs, Hawkins has worked heavily alongside Hoyer when it comes to revamping the organization on the scouting, player development and data side of things. That has coincided with Chicago's farm system being one of the up-and-coming pipelines in the sport.

Could Carter Hawkins Actually Leave The Cubs?

Jed Hoyer — Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

There's no doubt that losing Hawkins would be a major hit to this organization, especially following the departure of assistant general manager/vice president of pitching Craig Breslow for the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 season.

What's interesting in this situation that isn't quite known is what Hawkins' contract looks like. Following Hoyer's extension, it feels likely that Hawkins was also offered a new deal that lines up with what his boss received. While that's not known, there's a chance he could have inked a new contract.

MORE: Cubs Manager Delivers Major Kyle Tucker Injury Update And Reveals IL Status

However, candidates are able to interview and leave for roles that are considered promotions. So while Nightengale says the Nationals are interviewing candidates for their open general manager role, Washington could also make their new GM the president of baseball operations, too, which would be a promotion compared to what Hawkins' title is right now.

This will be something to monitor for Cubs fans. Because just as it looks like the franchise is turning the right corner, they could lose a key part of what has made that happen.

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