Morning Marquee: Chicago Cubs ranked fifth-most valuable MLB franchise

Cubs fifth ranked franchise; Decisions to be made; And a familiar face will be less familiar in the NL Central

Considering the state of the Chicago Cubs franchise when Tom Ricketts and family made the purchase, being ranked the fifth-most valuable franchise is an impressive stat. Forbes magazine ranked all 32 clubs, and not surprisingly the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox sit at the top, followed by the World Series winning Giants. The Cubs, who have been in the NL Central cellar for a while, are poised to move up on this list.

With Spring Training nearing an end, the Cubs will still have a few decisions to make on their roster. One of those is the catcher position. Since acquiring Miguel Montero and David Ross, the Cubs had been looking to find a suitor for Welington Castillo. With Matt Wieters out for the Orioles, could the two sides strike up a deal?

The Pirates Andrew McCutchen is a well-known figure to the Cubs, as well as the baseball world. His dreadlocks had also made him easily identifiable on the field. But no longer will that be the case. The former MVP cut them off for charity, sporting a look closer to his early days. The move was for a good cause, and we applaud any haircut for charity.

This news and more from around the baseball world:

‘Chicago Cubs ranked as fifth-most valuable MLB franchise’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Could Welington Castillo, Brian Matusz swap make sense for Cubs? – Cubbies Crib

‘In memoriam: Andrew McCutchen’s dreadlocks (2007-2015)’ – Cut4

‘Spring scoreless streak for M’s Walker reaches 18 innings’ – MLB.com

‘Lester like to be on pitch count for Opening Night’ – Cubbies Crib

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