In their pursuit of sustainable competitiveness, the Cubs are moving further toward a model-based approach that favors data over scouting. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney went into great detail on the “rational, emotionless strategy” that some criticize as eschewing the organization’s financial might in favor of a small-market mentality. As anyone who’s been following the club for a while knows, however, Jed Hoyer has often expressed an affinity for the way teams like the Rays, Guardians, and, yes, even the Brewers do things.
That’s a big part of the reason Carter Hawkins was hired as GM after spending nearly a decade and a half in Cleveland’s front office.