The Rundown: Hoyer Expects to Address Rotation, PCA Named Baseball Digest’s POY, 4 Elimination Games Today

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 7, 2026

“You don’t need a penny just to hang around. But if you’ve got a nickel, won’t you lay your money down?” – Down on the Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival

I needed some R & R after the abrupt ending to the Cubs’ season, and hopefully I’ve banked enough of each to find a semblance of hope for the next baseball season, whenever it commences. I watched Jed Hoyer deliver his end-of-season autopsy, and he rightfully shouldered the blame for each of the team’s deficiencies. Accountability, however, hasn’t often driven results throughout Hoyer’s tenure. The Cubs have yet to win a division title under the executive’s stewardship, which is hogtied to the club’s inability to draft, develop, or acquire quality pitching.

That’s priority one going forward, but Chicago missed a prime opportunity this season. Not many teams lead the league in offense and defense like the Cubs did, and who knows if Pete Crow-Armstrong will continue to play like Willie Mays. Regardless, Hoyer is going to have to abandon his aversion to paying up for premium pitching, whether that deliverable is prospects, players, cash, or all three. Chicago’s North Side Baseballers entered the postseason with the worst pitching staff among a dozen entrants. Sure, it was the offense that failed the Cubs in the Wild Card round, but a good team finds a way to win when its batters hit the skids.

The Cubs, at least as they were constructed this season, needed to average five runs or more to win most of their games. That’s not a recipe to win 90+ games, and though Chicago finished 89-73 with a Pythagorean record of 94-68, it’s not difficult to envision how special this season could have been if the team’s out-getters could simply get outs. With that in mind, Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Freddy Peralta, Logan Gilbert, and Reid Detmers should be at the top of the team’s wish list, and Hoyer should enter the Owners and GM Meetings carrying a sign that says “We will not be outbid.”

The market for relievers doesn’t carry the same pedigree, but David Bednar, Alex Vesia, and Josh Hader sound a lot better than Jacob Webb, Caleb Thielbar, and Hoby Milner. Hoyer should give each of his foster relievers a gold watch and a rocking chair and then thank them for their service.

Speaking of service, we’ve probably seen the last of Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki in Cubby blue. Potential replacements don’t seem very enticing, but we have no way of knowing which players will be made available in trade. Speculation would be folly at this point and I’m just not ready to dive into that pool, but Chicago’s outfield will have a much different look once the 2027 regular season starts.

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

Is it just me or are the playoffs moving at a breakneck pace? We have four elimination games today, so which teams will stay their execution? I’ve got the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, and Padres all winning today.

Playoff News & Notes

The Brewers were unable to sweep the Padres last night. Milwaukee has lost 12 consecutive road playoff games going back to 2018.

King pitched in relief and saved San Diego’s season last night, but he may not be able to pitch on Saturday.

Miller was added to the paternity list and missed last night’s game. King was therefore the only option to close the game for Padres’ manager Craig Stammen. San Diego’s bullpen is very taxed going into tonight’s game.

Adrian Morejon was not available because he’s dealing with a shoulder injury. Miller could return tonight, but Morejon is still unavailable.

The Dodgers are one win away from the NLCS thanks to a dazzling performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Freddie Freeman was booed by Braves fans after hitting the deciding home run.

Sean Newcomb will serve as an opener today as the White Sox try to sweep the Guardians.

Chicago hasn’t clinched a playoff series at home since 1906.

Hawk Harrelson is doing his best to fire up the South Siders before today’s game.

There is no team in baseball having more fun than the White Sox.

How About That!

The Phillies were hoping to hire Alex Cora to manage the team, but he declined. Philadelphia could consider bringing Don Mattingly back. Cora is taking the year off.

The Red Sox have been accused of overusing analytics. President of baseball operations Craig Beslow and manager Chad Tracy disagree.

The results of this year’s playoffs could sway CBA negotiations, though the impact is expected to be relatively minor.

Three from the Bill Chuck Files

  1. This season, across the majors, teams that scored 4+ runs in a game had a winning percentage of .734.
  2. Willson Contreras and his brother William became the fifth set of brothers to homer during the same postseason. Ken Boyer and Clete Boyer were the first to do it back in 1964.
  3. Teams that take a 2-0 lead in any best-of-five series have gone on to win that series 89% of the time (83 of 93). Under the current Division Series format, teams that lose Games 1 and 2 on the road have recovered to win the series just three times in 36 chances. Go White Sox!

Apropos of Nothing

I really want to see a Brewers-White Sox World Series. That has to hurt the owners in this winter’s CBA negotiations despite news to the contrary. Milwaukee is 19th in payroll, while Chicago is 28th.

I see no need for a cap or a floor, but what baseball really needs is better scouts and perhaps a little less reliance on analytics. Don’t forget, most teams vastly cut their scouting staffs after COVID, including the Cubs, who laid off 20 employees. The Rays and Guardians are 26th and 30th in payroll, respectively, in case you were wondering.

Extra Innings

Thank you, PCA!

They Said It

  • “It feels like we let an opportunity slip away that we won’t get back. We have to work really hard to get back to that place. Losses like this are really motivating. But in the moment, right now, I feel for the fans who supported this team so much. I feel like they deserved a long run this year. We let it slip away.” – Hoyer
  • “We had the best player in baseball. We had an exceptional position-playing group. So, we believed in this group. And we fell short. We let that opportunity slip away. That’s the part that will gnaw at us for a long time.” – Hoyer
  • “The goal is to win, and we didn’t play well enough to do that, so it’s time to look in the mirror and get better. I know myself and a lot of these guys will be thinking about it every day of the offseason and let it fuel us. [We] need to get better in all areas.” – Alex Bregman
  • “Alex’s season was a good reminder for me of how long the season is. Fans were all over him. It was really difficult for him. To be able to keep working, keep fighting through it, it’s a testament to a pretty tough person. A player of that quality, he’s going to find a way to get it done. His second half was remarkable. You look up at the end of the season, and he’s a top-10 player in baseball by WAR. I’m assuming he’s going to win a Gold Glove this year.” – Hoyer

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

It’s that time of year again, metaphorically speaking…

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 7, 2026
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