Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Jed Hoyer talks Cubs' struggles, Pete Crow-Armstrong's vulgar comment (Hour 4)
20 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What challenges are the Chicago Cubs currently facing?
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Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations.
My job is to do what I think is the right thing for the health of this franchise, and I want to make sure that we can build that next great Cubs team. I think the world of him as a manager, actually this thought, players love playing for him. I think he gets the most out of his teams, and he does it in an incredibly balanced manner. I think you see the same person every day, which is wonderful.
World Series champion general manager. Here we go, Montgomery's pitch. A little bouncer slowly toward Bryant. He will glove it toward Arizzo. It's in time.
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Chapter 2: How does Jed Hoyer view the team's recent performance?
And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series. Jed Hoyer with Rahimi Harrison-Grody. I will let you guys ask any questions. On 104.3 The Score.
Jed Hoyer, the Cubs president of baseball operations, joining us now on Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. Jed, thanks for coming on with us today.
No problem. How you guys doing?
We're good. I did not know that Hurricane was going to be your introductory music, so I'm a little taken aback by that, but if you're good with it, we are too.
You guys can choose whatever you want.
uh we unfortunately our timing is not ideal when we're talking to you after two losses to the brewers and uh a setback with crosstown take losing two out of three that emotional game on sunday drew it out of everybody i think what is what is your mindset and your opinion of just what you saw from your team over those last two series so far yeah i know we haven't played very well for the last 10 games i think that's uh
undeniable. Um, I think it goes back before that, you know, we had to be struggled to hit in Texas. And then obviously, you know, Atlanta is a really good team.
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Chapter 3: What is the impact of injuries on the Cubs' pitching staff?
We played them on the road and, um, it didn't hit it all there, but, but one of the final game. And then, you know, you know, Sunday was, was a frustrating one. It felt like a game that, um, we just left a ton of guys on base early. It felt like a game that we could have spread out and we didn't. And obviously, um, lost a heartbreaker, and they're playing really well right now.
The White Sox have played well for a while, so that was a tough emotional series, and then obviously we haven't played well, and the Brewers have played great the last two days. So it's been a struggle the last 10 days, and I just think that's the nature of a baseball season. We kind of muddled through the first five series of the year, didn't play great, and then
We won 20 out of 23, and then obviously we struggled for 10 days. So we sort of had three different segments of the season, and I think the totality of things, we're in a good position, but obviously we're not playing well right now, and we need to turn it around, which there's no reason to think we won't.
Jed, I know you're not going to have a knee-jerk reaction to this, the ups and downs, but you guys have had some severe swings when it comes to the ups. And then also now with the down, the two 10 game winning streaks, two and eight, as you mentioned in the last 10 games, I'm curious because of the pitching element of this and trying to piecemeal it together.
Cause that's what it feels like anyway, with Kate Horton being gone with Boyd missing time.
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Chapter 4: What trade strategies does Hoyer consider during the season?
I'm curious as to if you have any regrets at all about guys who have been available, whether it's Lucas Giolito or other guys that you may have checked in on and And if you regret not being more aggressive in some of the free agents that were out there.
Yeah, no, we've had, we've had some injuries and I think that, um, we've had to, I used that piece of together. I think, you know, given that we've, we've done a pretty good job of that. And I think in a lot of ways, like a Boyd injury, um, you know, the, the small several silver lining of that is, you know, we had to put Brown in the bullpen early in the year because of our relief injuries.
And, um, That was not our intention going in, and the fact that Boyd got hurt has sort of pushed us to stretch Ben out, and I think that's going to benefit us over the course of the season. I thought he looked excellent in those three outings, and hopefully he can continue to do that. So I think when you have injuries, you have to...
look at the upside and try to make the most of those opportunities. I think Ben may be one where pushing us to stretch him out and not have him in the bullpen because of the injury I think may benefit us for the rest of the summer.
While we're here talking about the pitching, is Javier Assad going to get a start and can you update us on those injuries? You mentioned Matthew Boyd. What about Justin Steele as well? Anything new with those guys?
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Chapter 5: How does Jed Hoyer respond to the Pete Crow-Armstrong incident?
Yeah, you know, Matt's going to throw sort of an up-down bullpen Friday or Saturday. And he's progressing well. I mean, it was a pretty simple procedure. He just, you know, his knee locked up. He had to have a meniscus surgery, but he's progressing well. And hopefully that means once he's. throwing sort of heavy bullpens.
We're not too far away from, from some game action, you know, on rehabs or, or live BP. So I think he's progressing well, you know, Justin is still, you know, shut down right now. He's, he's in town and, you know, I think he's going to certainly be, be later this summer.
So as we think about, you know, guys that are going to help in a more immediate term, I think, you know, Boyd is progressing well and hopefully he can continue that progression.
And Assad, is he going to get started?
Yeah, we're going to stretch him out. I think that with your given injuries, we've had to shuffle guys through the bullpen, but you want to have guys like Jordan Wicks and Assad starting in Iowa to make sure that you can stretch those guys out.
You just brought up Jordan Wicks.
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Chapter 6: What lessons does Hoyer believe players learn from fan interactions?
That's a guy that I wonder about a lot. What is going on with Jordan Wicks? Because it's been a really up-and-down career with the Cubs. Do you foresee him getting another opportunity with the big club?
I think he's really talented. Yeah, he's had some ups and downs and some injuries. Obviously, he had an injury in spring training, so he wasn't really a part of spring training at all for us. He had some struggles in his early rehab, but he threw well his last time out, and I think he needs to help us. I think he's a talented pitcher.
Obviously, he threw really well for us in 23, started 24 in the rotation. And so I feel like he's a guy that has a lot of talent and a lot of upside. And it's just about maintaining that consistency to pitch at this level.
We're talking to Jed Hoyer on 104.3 The Score with Rahimi Harrison-Grody. And during our conversations with Jed Hoyer, we highlight Lurie Children's Hospital, ranked the number one children's hospital in Illinois by the U.S.
Chapter 7: What are the Cubs' plans for improving their roster?
News & World Report, located at 225 East Chicago Avenue in downtown Chicago. Jed, I know I tend to say that if I've thought about it, then you've thought about it, because this is your job and not as much mine. What is the danger in setting a market when it comes to starting pitching? You have your own agenda.
Cubs fans have their own agenda when it comes to understanding the injuries that are placed in front of you. And even though we're still far away from the trade deadline, we have seen teams go out before the deadline aggressively and try to get somebody they need. But what is what's the mindset behind the apprehension, especially in this market?
And then also, you know, just what are the flip sides? What's the risk management you do in a thought process like that?
Yeah, no, that's a good question. I think, you know, of the sports, you know, baseball is the one where you're starting in April. People start talking about the trade deadline. It's sort of a I think it's. the nature of how the sport is covered, you know, that people feel like you can always go out and get replacements externally.
You know, the reality is that, you know, we've had discussions with, with teams about, you know, candidly, you know, guys are probably struggling, excuse me, struggling with their teams.
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Chapter 8: How do the Cubs compare to their rivals in the league?
And, you know, there may be a buy low opportunity. We've had some of those discussions, you know, but the reality is that to go out and get someone that's pitching well, early in the season. It's just not realistic. Look around baseball. For a team to sell a starting pitcher for prospects in this time of year is just unbelievably unusual.
For the most part, teams would wait to get a higher price if they know they're going to sell, but I think there's a lot of teams right now that just simply don't know. Think back to 2023, we were going to be a seller until about July 20th. We won 9 out of 10. And so teams look at it that way.
And especially in the American League, where in the National League, it looks like it's going to take a fair number of wins to make the postseason. There's so many good teams in the National League. I think when you look at the American League, I mean, honestly, there's... a low win total could very easily sneak into playoffs.
And so with that being the case, if you're five under six under eight under right now, you're certainly not feeling like you're out of the race by any means. And, and I say that, and I should add like, We're five or six games into an NFL season. It's so early that teams are just patient. And so that's really the reason why you don't see deals.
It's just not realistic that people are going to sell early. They only do in the most unusual of circumstances. So the early season is about internal replacements and about sales. you know, being creative and, you know, sometimes a deal comes around, but I think there's just, that's just the nature of how I guess how our sport is covered.
People focus on external stuff a lot and talk about a deadline already. And, you know, we're getting to the place where you have a better feel for it, but we're still not that close to it.
Well, and the reason I bring it up is, number one, I know it's not pitching, but the Luis Urias trade that happened previously did kind of break my brain a little bit and forced me to think about this stuff before the deadline. And then also, it was Justin Steele's update on social media when he told us about the reevaluation process and the setback he had, where I was thinking to myself, oh, man.
Like, does this affect you guys at the deadline? So it was me, I confess. But sometimes I wonder if those extenuating circumstances do change the thought a little bit.
Yeah, no question. I mean, I think we're like, you're always thinking about it. I think with Justin, you know, the hope going into the season certainly was that, you know, we put him on the 60 day IL. I think this is roughly when he would have been able to
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