Grading the Chicago Cubs front office at the season’s midway point

Overall

The Cubs will spend the next three weeks trying to figure out whether they are trade deadline buyers or sellers. It’s an interesting dilemma. At five games out of the division lead, they’re close enough to contend in those stretches when they’re playing well. But those stretches have come and gone, often on very short notice.

Here’s the first half report card on the Cubs front office. Note that grades for players departing the organization are based on the reverse of those players’ WAAs with their new teams.

Mode                    WAA               Grade

Acquired              +0.1                      C

Traded                  +0.2                      C

Signed                  -1.8                       D

FA Lost                 -0.8                       C

Rookies                 -0.2                       C

Overall                  -1.3                       D

Since the end of the 2022 season, Hoyer and Hawkins have made 31 personnel moves affecting major league talent. Only 12 of those moves have benefitted the Cubs; 16 have worked against them and three have been neutral.

As solid as the Swanson pickup was, and as borderline solid as the Bellinger signing has been, the work of Hosmer, Mancini and Taillon has more than undermined it. To date, the Cubs’ entire season can be summarized in the free agent work of Hoyer and Carter: two steps forward, three steps back.

If they decide to bail and sell, Bellinger and Marcus Stroman are both attractive assets. But it would be hard for Cubs fans to pull the plug on a race against competition as non-intimidating as the Brewers, Reds, Pirates and Cardinals are providing.