Depending on how you feel about Carter Hawkins, then this could definitely be an exciting development for the Chicago Cubs. According to a couple reports, the current GM for the Chicago Cubs has interviewed with the Washington Nationals for their top baseball gig.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported that Hawkins was on the Nationals’ short list for their open GM position and then followed up by reporting that Hawkins had indeed interviewed. Nightengale called Hawkins one of the finalist, saying the Cubs’ GM interviewed last week.
Meanwhile, The Athletic also wrote about the Nationals’ GM search and in addition to Hawkins being one of the finalists for the job, a few others were also named.
Via The Athletic.
As the Washington Nationals look for a new head of baseball operations, the club has contacted Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins, Arizona Diamondbacks executive Amiel Sawdaye and Los Angeles Dodgers senior vice president Josh Byrnes, according to league sources briefed on the search.
The Cubs hired Hawkins following the 2021 season. He previously worked in the Cleveland Guardians organization from 2009-2021, serving as a scout and eventually served as the team’s assistant general manager for five years.
This is the part that has annoyed some Cubs’ fans both during free agency and at the trade deadline. This is how his hiring was described in The Athletic.
The Cubs wanted that disciplined, small-market perspective when they hired Hawkins away from the Cleveland Guardians after the 2021 season. Hawkins, who played college baseball at Vanderbilt, spent 14 seasons with Cleveland, an organization that has remained consistently competitive despite its limitations.
Jed Hoyer seemingly operates in that similar mindset, so it’s probably best to have someone else who presents an aggressive approach to balance out Hoyer’s safe style of risk taking. Hawkins just isn’t that guy.
We’ll see if the Nationals hire Hawkins and if so, then the Cubs will need to hire a new GM. Hopefully it’s one who can provide a fresh perspective in the front office across the table from Hoyer, who received a contract extension back in July.
