Jed Hoyer Admits One Cubs Issue Is Keeping Him Up at Night

The Chicago Cubs head into the season with as much potential to make a deep playoff run as they have had in the decade since their curse-breaking World Series breakthrough in 2016.

With that potential brings pressure, and while pressure is indeed a privilege, it should have the entire organization hungry to be their absolute best. For president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, that means putting the best possible team out on the field by the time Opening Day comes.

The job of any executive is never finished when the season starts, but Hoyer is up day and night thinking about ways to tweak things before his product hits the field. Interestingly, that day and night might be literal.

Cubs president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer | David Banks-Imagn Images

Hoyer has concerns about the Cubs' pitching staff

While speaking to Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on his podcast, Hoyer was asked what it is that really keeps him up at night in terms of this team, and as he and Craig Counsell have repeated, it's the pitching staff in what has become a new era of baseball.

"As far as what keeps me up at night, it's always the same thing now, it's just pitching."
Jed Hoyer

"Like I said I've done this a long time and in the past your five starters generally made most their turns. We live in a world now where I feel like your ninth and 10th starters are really important, so making sure you have enough depth in the rotation, making sure you have enough depth in the bullpen to get through this marathon because you look around and guys get hurt more often. Your piecing together the 1440 innings in a different way than you used to."

Hoyer is certainly not saying he is worried Chicago will have a poor staff. However, with arms getting hurt more often than they have throughout the entire history of baseball, depth has never been more important than it is now.

Justin Steele | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Whether this means another move is coming remains to be seen, but you truly can never have enough pitching.

Cubs staff assembled by Hoyer could be one of baseball's best

At the trade deadline, Hoyer received a ton of flak for not making aggressive moves to land an ace, but the prices were just not reasonable. Being patient and waiting for the offseason, Hoyer landed Edward Cabrera for a fair price and the presence of him and Cade Horton at the top has massive potential.

Edward Cabrera of Chicago Cubs throws pitch from right han — Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Beyond the top two, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and eventually Justin Steele present a phenomenal top-six. That said, injuries can quickly derail things as Chicago found out a year ago.

Hoyer knows better than anyone that depth is absolutely critical, and it sounds like he certainly is always working on ways he can acquire more than he already has.