Hoyer frustrated he couldn't re-sign stars, says Cubs made fair offers
Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer closed the book on the greatest era in franchise history with his deadline-day fire sale. He insists it didn't have to be this way.
The Cubs attempted to sign Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez to long-term deals over the last few seasons, but negotiations with all three stalled, eventually leading to the trades. The desire for all three extensions was seemingly mutual, leaving Hoyer all the more frustrated.
"That will probably be my greatest source of frustration from this era," Hoyer said during a radio appearance on ESPN 1000 Monday, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "I put my head on the pillow every night knowing we put our best foot forward. The extensions we offered these guys will hold up exceptionally well ... against the open market.
"I don't know why guys didn't want to sign. I don't know why guys didn't want to even counteroffer, oftentimes."
Rizzo, one of the most beloved Cubs in recent memory, received one extension offer this spring that was below his asking price, according to Rogers. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Thursday.
Baez, now with the New York Mets, saw his negotiations with the Cubs interrupted by the pandemic last March, his agent, Nick Chanock, told Rogers. Chanock said they made a counteroffer before baseball was shut down. The Cubs never countered that proposal, even as the deadline approached this month, sources told Rogers.
It's not as clear how negotiations with Bryant, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants minutes before Friday's deadline, may have fallen apart. Last February, the 2016 NL MVP denied a report that he'd turned down an extension worth more than $200 million.
Hoyer thinks deals could have easily been reached and is now wondering if the players really pulled their weight during negotiations.
"Every one of these guys would say they wanted to stay in Chicago, 'We wanted to be a Cub,' but then we would sit down and do negotiations, that wasn't how they acted," Hoyer said.
"I see (White Sox pitcher) Lance Lynn, who comes to Chicago and signs an extension," he added. "He certainly could have gotten more on the open market this winter but (said) 'I want to stay here. I want to be a White Sox.' Other than Kyle Hendricks, who I admire for rolling up his sleeves with us, we didn't have that."