The Cubs’ big trade deadline changed the look of the roster, but it may also have changed the stakes for the front office.
Chicago is set up better than it has been in a while, with the game’s top position-player group now backed by a much deeper pitching staff. Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor joined the mix at the deadline, and the rest of 2026 is suddenly looking very promising for the Wrigley faithful. But that kind of success can create another problem in the offseason: other teams start looking at the people helping build it.
Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell are not expected to go anywhere. Carter Hawkins, though, could draw interest.
The Cubs’ general manager already surfaced in outside chatter last year, when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the Nationals were considering him as a replacement for outgoing baseball ops boss Mike Rizzo. Hawkins also has a reputation that may play differently outside Chicago after his infamous “2032” comments last summer.
For a club looking for stability and a long view, that could still be appealing.
A few teams stand out as possible landing spots if Hawkins becomes available.
Baltimore is one of them. The Orioles are in the middle of a second straight disappointing season, and the shine has worn off a roster that once looked loaded with Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday and other top prospects arriving together.
Current baseball ops head Mike Elias was hired by the Angelos family, and new owner David Rubenstein may not have unlimited patience. If Baltimore decides to move on, Hawkins would fit the profile.
He has experience in a smaller-market setting, which matters for a club that does not usually spend at the top of the market, and his time with the Guardians could make him a useful voice in pitching development too. That could matter after the disappointments of prospects like Grayson Rodriguez and Cade Povich.
Cincinnati would be a much more direct Cubs problem. Reds fans have already taken aim at GM Nick Krall after a quiet deadline that left obvious trade chips like Tyler Stephenson and Brady Singer in place.
Krall has run the club since 2018, and Cincinnati has not won more than 83 games under him. That kind of track record opens the door for change, and Hawkins would be a logical name to consider if ownership decides to make one.
The Reds have real ingredients already: Chase Burns, Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbot give them a strong-looking playoff rotation, and Elly De La Cruz is the kind of star every front office wants to build around. What they may need now is someone who can finish the job without blowing up the future.
Then there’s the Angels, where the front office picture is already in motion. Perry Minasian was fired earlier this season, and interim GM John Mozeliak guided the club through a deadline that saw it sell off pieces such as Jose Soriano and Adell.
Mozeliak may stay in the role beyond this season, but if Arte Moreno chooses another direction, Hawkins could be a fit there too. The Angels have recently leaned on aggressive front office moves in an effort to patch over a flawed roster and chase short-term contention.
Hawkins’ future-focused style could be a different kind of answer, especially if Moreno is willing to buy into a rebuild that actually sticks.
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