Cubs' Hoyer ready to sell after losing streak: 'Life comes at you fast'

The Chicago Cubs snapped an 11-game losing streak Wednesday, but that win was probably too little, too late for their postseason hopes.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer all but acknowledged that reality Thursday. While it appeared as though the Cubs might make a surprise run at the playoffs thanks to a hot start, Hoyer admitted the recent skid altered the front office's approach to the upcoming trade deadline.

"Listen, we've believed in these guys since 2015. They've had a ton of success, and I would never count these guys out," Hoyer said, according to 670 The Score. "But 11 days ago, we were fully on the buy side of this transaction, and everyone was calling about that. And obviously now, people are calling to see which players are available. So it's a very different scenario than we expected.

"You know, life comes at you fast. Eleven days ago, this is not where we were mentally. Obviously, 11 games certainly changes a lot of things."

Chicago's combined no-hitter in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on June 24 moved it into a tie for first place in the NL Central. Since then, the team's fallen below .500 and entered play Thursday 8 1/2 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, while their run differential plummeted to minus-15.

"When your playoff odds get into single digits at this time of the year, you have to keep one eye on the future and what moves you can potentially make that can help build the next great Cubs team," Hoyer said, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

Pivoting into sell mode means that many of Chicago's core pieces from its 2016 World Series-winning club could be on the move before the July 30 deadline. All-Star third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and shortstop Javier Baez are all pending free agents. Other potential trade chips could include closer Craig Kimbrel, who's enjoying a renaissance season anchoring the bullpen, and slugger Joc Pederson.

Hoyer refused to call the upcoming sale a full-blown rebuild and rejected comparisons to the 2012 teardown that helped build the current roster, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.