The Real Problem With the Cubs Might Actually Be Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer

Based on the latest from Ken Rosenthal, it seems like Cubs manager Joe Maddon has been made the scapegoat for the plethora of issues surrounding this franchise on the field, and Chicago will likely not bring him back for the 2020 season.

All it took was a playoff-less season in 2019 and a wild comeback by the Brewers in 2018 to steal the division to seemingly seal Maddon's fate.

It's much easier to point the finger at Maddon for the Cubs disappointing and missing the playoffs this season, but Theo Epstein's and Jed Hoyer's resume since they won the World Series hasn't been very glowing.

They've gutted the farm and Chicago now holds one of the worst minor league systems in the league, as top prospect Nico Hoerner is just about all they have. Free agent acquisitions like Craig Kimbrel haven't panned out. The team has done a poor job developing pitching, which has caused a number of problems. They've spent big -- both via free agency and trades -- on a failed starting rotation, and the bullpen has largely been held together with duct tape (they somehow didn't learn their lesson after Aroldis Chapman left).

Pair that with the organization welcoming Addison Russell back with open arms, and you get a collision of poor personnel decisions that left Maddon short-handed.

There's no doubt that 2019 was a big disappointment for the Cubs, but the shortcomings on this roster were due to bad luck and poor moves by the front office. Maddon played a role from time to time with questionable decision-making, but that wasn't excessive enough to deem him the problem.

For that, Hoyer and Epstein need to take some of the heat for what's happened in the Windy City.