Cubs’ GM Carter Hawkins a finalist for NL East front office job

According to Bob Nightengale, Hawkins interviewed for the Washington Nationals GM job in early September. He is now a finalist for he position. Washington fired Mike Rizzo in July, named Mike DeBartolo interim GM, but now has their sights set on someone like Hawkins.

Carter Hawkins has taken some heat recently

Since joining the Cubs in 2021, Hawkins has played a role in several major moves, including the signings of Marcus Stroman, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson, and the two-time additions of Cody Bellinger. He also oversaw both the salary-shedding trade of Bellinger and the acquisition of Kyle Tucker.

Following this year’s trade deadline, Hawkins addressed the team’s relatively quiet approach, stating that they were unwilling to overpay, offering that as the main reason the Cubs didn’t make splashier moves like other contenders.

Those comments didn’t sit well with fans, especially with 2025 shaping up as an “all-in” season. The team’s biggest offseason addition, Kyle Tucker, came on an expiring contract, so the lack of aggressive follow-up at the trade deadline left many confused and frustrated.

If Hawkins does depart, it could pave the way for Hoyer to adopt a more aggressive approach moving forward. Without Hawkins alongside him, Hoyer may have more freedom to pursue bold, win-now moves. While a front office shake-up could be on the horizon, the Cubs’ fate for the rest of this season will ultimately be decided by the players already on the field.

The Cubs have never made the playoffs with Hawkins as GM. That’s surely going to change this year, but the question remains how far will they go into the post season.