WATCH: Jed Hoyer discusses trade for lefty Drew Pomeranz |
Tony Crumpton
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- Tuesday, April 22 2025
Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer met with the media ahead of Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers about the trade to acquire Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners, the recent roster moves to help provide bullpen depth and much more.
Watch the pregame video below:
Video summary/cliff-notes:
[00:00–00:54] Jed Hoyer says the timing was right to trade for Drew Pomeranz due to his contract status and recent strong performance in Triple-A and spring training. The Cubs also needed a second left-handed reliever in the bullpen.
[01:20–02:12] Hoyer defends the bullpen’s overall performance, noting standout efforts by some pitchers like Porter, while acknowledging inconsistency and the need to solidify the back end of the bullpen.
[02:42–03:41] Despite losing Justin Steele to injury, the Cubs have been stable thanks to depth, with players like Colin and Ben Brown stepping up. Hoyer emphasizes the importance of offseason depth since trade options are limited early in the season.
[04:14–04:45] Hoyer praises the Dodgers' aggressive and strategic spending on players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, calling it a well-executed business plan with significant returns, especially in the Japanese market.
[05:22–06:18] The bottom of the Cubs' batting order has exceeded expectations and played a key role in run production, improving from last year when lack of depth hurt the offense.
[06:18–08:15] Catching has been a team strength. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya have both contributed offensively and defensively, with rest and balance helping their performance.
[08:40–09:15] Hoyer deflects "noise" around contract talks for standout players like Kyle Tucker, stating that such discussions wouldn’t be public if they happened.
[10:45–11:13] Third baseman Matt Shaw was sent to Triple-A to work on mechanics. Hoyer stresses the difficulty of adjusting at the MLB level and hopes one player emerges during the current rotation.
[11:49–13:18] Building a bullpen is a constant process due to injuries and performance fluctuations. Hoyer says the Cubs will stay active in trades and waivers to strengthen it.
[13:55–15:56] The early start to the season, including the Japan trip, may have boosted team chemistry. Hoyer acknowledges a tough early schedule but sees value in having completed West Coast trips already.
