Bleacher Bums Forum

The Cubs only have Swanson's contract guaranteed after 2026. Since Hoyer has been so timid for the last 5 years, they have more financial flexibility than every other team in MLB. But it's already been reported that they're not even trying for Soto. 

They should be the favorite for Soto. But they're not even trying. I just don't care about this team anymore. I wish I did, I really used to enjoy watching them every day. But this Hoyer/Ricketts combo is awful.

…..No, this is the kind of flagrant mismanagement that sets on fire extraordinary opportunity cost year over year while sitting back as franchise valuation and revenue streams grow, prioritizing not the long right tail of outcomes, but instead that spot on the bell curve just to the right of center.

Well, Ricketts brought Cubs a World Championship within a few years of taking over.

To call that “flagrant mismanagement” is way over the top and ahistorical.

After the World Championship, Cubs were #2 and #3 in MLB payroll (2019/2020).  Flagrant mismanagement too?

2021 was the sell-off. Was it “flagrant mismanagement” not to extend Bryant, Baez, Rizzo?

Rebuilds rarely happen quickly in MLB. Ahistorical to think rebuild-to-World Championship should happen quickly.

If you think Cubs are in same or similar spending strata as Yankees and Dodgers, you are mistaken. Mets and Phillies have owners who do not care about spending—indeed, they have been quoted publicly saying that. G-d bless them, but they are outliers in MLB history. Ricketts is with the remaining 99% of owners in MLB history, sorry.

Other clubs temporarily ahead of Cubs lately move up, down, up, down. Just routine fluctuation.

Padres went from #3 in 2023 to #11 in 2024. Jays went from #5 in 2023 to #9 in 2024. Braves went from #13 and #8 in 2021/2022 to higher payrolls with some long-term commitments to 2029 that may or may not work out. Rangers were #17 in payroll in 2022. Giants were #16 and #13 in 2022/2023. Red Sox—the most similar revenue team to Cubs in MLB—were #12 in 2023/2024. Astros were #11 in 2023. Some years, Angels pop in to join top spenders depending on Artie Moreno’s whims but were #15 and #9 in 2023/2024.

We can quibble about Cubs spending another $20-25 more in a given season but Cubs have spent big at times. Ricketts could have extended Bryant, Baez, Rizzo for multi years to beef up payroll but maybe declining that turned out smart?  Can complain that Ohtani went to Dodgers or Soto going to Mets/Yankees—go ahead and blame Ricketts for that, I guess.

I know that these three whole years of 2022-24 is a lifetime of futility to our younger Whipper-Snappers out there and 2016 was a century ago.

Don’t you just hate flagrant mismanagement?
 

Regarding Ohtani bringing sponsorship $$$ with him, this isn't some weird after-the-fact theory I've concocted.

This was discussed extensively during his most recent FA cycle.

Here's a recent article on the Dodgers' windfall, which pegs the Ohtani effect at $120M, currently:

https://dodgersway.com/dodgers-rumors-absurd-profit-off-shohei-ohtani-after-year-1

I never thought you concocted it.  But I wonder if he or his source did.  It seems full of subjective estimates rather than reported facts.  And even the author adds the following:

Pierzynski added a caveat: "I don't know how true this number was, but I was told from a pretty reliable person."

In addition, whatever the amount is, the author mentions that it comes from the signing of a generational talent, and does not address the question of the amount that might be added for a lesser talent.  I doubt that the Cubs got much money from the signing of either Suzuki or Imanaga.  And most of the sponsorships mentioned seemed to come from Japanese companies.  Is there another generational Japanese talent available on the market today that can bring in that kind of money.  As Craig has indicated, it is not likely to come from the signing of Soto or a similar local player.

As bad as some here don't want to believe it we're not smarter than Jed Hoyer and if sponsorship would more than cover a 600 million dollar contract then the Pirates and Marlins would have been after Ohtani and Soto.

  Sorry, I meant to respond to this sooner.  The Pirates and Marlins don't have the Japanese connections that other cities have.   I would rank Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Chicago, maybe Boston, San Diego, and San Francisco as having big business interests in the order I listed them.  At least Chicago would be in the top 4 as evidenced that we have attracted Japanese stars in the past: Fukudome, Suzuki, and Imanaga.

According to Passan the Cubs are not in on Fried and restricting themselves to the "mid-tier" SP market and below.

According to Passan the Cubs are not in on Fried and restricting themselves to the "mid-tier" SP market and below.

That's the least shocking news ever.

MLBTradeRumors and Fangraphs are both predicting Walker Buehler is likely to get a pillow contract for about $15 million. If the Dodgers let him go, he will absolutely be Hoyer's top target.

According to Passan the Cubs are not in on Fried and restricting themselves to the "mid-tier" SP market and below.

Not what Passan said.

It’s not a report; no inside dope.

it’s a prediction, an expectation, an educated guess, perhaps.

Passan said that Cubs “expected” to be in mid-tier pitching market.  Maybe true, maybe not. He doesn’t know whether Cubs in or out on Fried. He “expects” they won’t be. There is a difference.