The pressure is on Jed Hoyer to get this Cubs trade deadline right

The Chicago Cubs were picked by many to win the NL Central in 2024 after signing Shota Imanaga and retaining Cody Bellinger. However, their 2024 season has not been what they had envisioned. With three weeks to go until the trade deadline, the North Siders sit at the bottom of the division with a record of 42-49.

And so, the pressure is on President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer to get this right. On ESPN, Jeff Passan listed several executives with the most pressure on them as the deadline nears. Hoyer was an honorable mention, but Passan noted just how perilous of a position the Cubs are currently in.

Pressure is on Cubs to ace trade deadline

There is obviously a lot of pressure on Hoyer and the Cubs to get the trade deadline right this year. Passan noted that the Cubs really are in a predicament, and that simply getting rid of players on expiring contracts should be easy.

However, Passan also notes that teams aren't exactly showing a lot of interest in Kyle Hendricks, Hector Neris, and David Bote. In a sense, the Cubs are stuck in the dreaded middle and don't have a clear path forward at the deadline.

The Cubs could look to stand pat rather than make any moves, but that wouldn't exactly be an ideal path. Fans in Chicago are certainly frustrated, and given that the Cubs haven't made it to the postseason since 2020, their window to win may in fact be shutting.

So, it's going to be hard for Hoyer to actually be able to get this deadline right with players on expiring contracts that nobody wants and a difficult path to climb back into contention. Chicago is 11 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central, but they do have a shot in the Wild Card race, as they sit just 5.5 games out.

A big test will come over the weekend when they face their red-hot archrivals the St. Louis Cardinals. Perhaps by then, the Cubs will have a little more clarity on what to do at the trade deadline. Either way though, there is considerable pressure on Hoyer, especially considering that the Cubs were expected to win the Central at the start of the year.