Commentary: Ricketts payroll comments are concerning for fans |
Say what you will about the Cubs and how they have done business the past few seasons. This big-market team is acting like a small-market team, and there is no argument to be made about that. The Chicago Cubs refuse to spend the money that some of these other franchises do despite having the resources to get any player they want.
Most fans blame that on Jed Hoyer; he deserves some of the blame when you look at the contracts he has given out. Dansby Swanson comes to mind, but the no trade clauses he has attached to some of these deals have hurt this team when it comes to improving their roster. However, the more you consider things, the less Hoyer should be to blame, as he can only spend what the owners allow him to. For whatever reason, Tom Ricketts has a budget he doesn't want to pass, which has hurt this team in recent seasons. That budget is the Luxury Tax, as Ricketts continues to operate as if that Tax is the salary cap. Even though that isn't the case, the Cubs won't get out of their financial approach to how they do business, and if you listen to Ricketts' most recent comments at the Cubs convention about the team's spending, it's very concerning to hear for the long-term outlook for this team. Before diving into some of the things he said, everyone's interpretations of his comments will be different, so this will not be how everyone feels about the situation and what he said. The main part of this discussion is what he said about spending and competing with teams like the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers. This is what was said during Ricketts's interview with 670 The Score. "They think somehow we have all these dollars that the Dodgers, the Mets, or the Yankees have, and we just keep it, which isn't true. What happens is we try to break even every year, and that's about it." The portion of the response is the fans, so we get that straight. He is saying that big market team or not, the Cubs don't have the resources the Yankees, Mets, or Dodgers have, which forces them to operate like a smaller market team. Having a 380 million dollar TV contract for the Dodgers certainly helps with their spending, but that is what the Marquee Network was supposed to be for the Cubs. Instead, the Marquee Network has not been an enormous cash cow for the entire organization, and it didn't bring the Cubs nearly the revenue they expected to get. That has indeed impacted how much money this team will spend, but they can spend more than what they do. Anytime you own a business, and owning a sports team is still a business, your goal should be to become profitable each season. To hear Ricketts say their goal is to break even yearly is a massive concern. That gives off the vibe that the Cubs are only trying to the minimum to get by and nothing else. It's like that college kid in school who is only doing the minimum of what is required of them instead of going the extra mile to get better. There is a reason why this team has been mediocre at best since 2020, and that is the reason why. The other part of that quote suggests that this team isn't necessarily making money but loses money each season. Hearing Ricketts say the goal is to break even makes you wonder if breaking even is a win for this team, which is very concerning for the long-term outlook for this franchise. That is what makes the Cody Bellinger trade all that more frustrating. After the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker, they had no choice but to move on from Bellinger, as he no longer had a place on this team. You could argue that they could've put him first, but what would this team do with Michael Busch? Bellinger would have undoubtedly made this team better, but he was valuable enough to be traded, so moving him made sense. However, trading him the way the Cubs did maded no sense, as it was nothing but a salary dump to clear $27 million off the books. It would have been wise for the Cubs to use the money they saved, but they still haven't spent any of it, which is why most fans are frustrated. Hopefully, they will eventually spend the extra money from the Bellinger move this offseason. If the plan was to dump Bellinger's salary, at least get something worth it in return; otherwise, what is the point of getting rid of him? This is another classic case of an owner panicking before the season and trying to cut costs to stay under the luxury tax. Even with Bellinger off the books, Ricketts still expects this team to be close to the $241 million dollar threshold, which is a big concern for the remainder of the Cubs offseason. With Jed Hoyer going public and saying that this team isn't done making moves, many felt that adding a closer and getting a third baseman is next on the list. However, if Ricketts expects this team to be close to that threshold again this season, what power does Hoyer have to get a move done, and how much money does he have to spend? Tanner Scott was linked to the Cubs on Saturday before signing with the Dodgers on Sunday. Even before that, it seemed unlikely that the Cubs would fork over that cash for a closer as it goes against how they have done things in the past. Even at that, Kirby Yates and Kyle Finnegan remain the two best free-agent options, and neither one will require a ton of money. Third base is where the real issue could come into play unless the Cubs are content with letting Matt Shaw learn on the job. No one knows what will happen over the coming weeks, but there are a lot of concerning trends going on at Clark and Addison. These trends have been going on for years, but to hear Ricketts talk the way he spoke brought the concerns to a new level.
