Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer publicly vented about the team’s failure to reach the 85 percent vaccination threshold that would allow them to eliminate many health and safety protocols.
The Cubs are among the roughly half of MLB teams that have not yet hit the threshold that would allow a number of restrictions to be lifted. Hoyer believes they’re increasingly at a competitive disadvantage the longer that goes on, and didn’t hide his disappointment.
“It’s disappointing to not be at 85% as a team,” Hoyer said Thursday, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “We’ve worked hard to try and convince or educate the people that have been reluctant. We’re at a place right now — I’m not going to give up hope we’re going to get there — my level of optimism is waning. It is disappointing.
“There’s a competitive advantage we’re going to miss. Being transparent about it, we’re not a player away from being at 85%. It’s a disappointing thing that we’ll have anxieties and restrictions that others don’t.”
Hoyer made clear that he would not make any personnel moves based on vaccination status, an idea that got one NFL GM in trouble recently.
Reaching the threshold would allow personnel to share closer quarters in the clubhouse and no longer wear masks. It would also reduce the likelihood of positive tests and allow for more flexible rules on contact tracing. As more and more teams hit the threshold, those that haven’t done so yet will be looking at a greater competitive disadvantage. From that standpoint, Hoyer’s frustration is understandable.
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