Chicago Cubs: Tom Ricketts shares fans’ ‘desire for change’

Chicago Cubs: Ricketts toes the company line of ‘change’

So when I got an email from Ricketts recently, I was interested to see what he had to say for himself. Here’s how he began.

“While we enjoyed several exciting wins at Wrigley Field and solid individual performances from many of our players, we struggled to deliver as a team in the moments that mattered most. Falling short of our potential and failing to make the postseason for the first time in five years was extremely disappointing for all of us. We share your desire for change and are committed to building our next championship team.”

Unlike a lot of fans, I’m more torn on how to feel about this. He’s saying all the right things – that, we can all agree on. But the Cubs battled a lot of these issues because he put a hard stop on spending right in the middle of a championship window.

Sure, he found the change in his couch cushions to add Nicholas Castellanos at the trade deadline. But the only reason Chicago brought in free agent closer Craig Kimbrel was the fact they saved millions with Ben Zobrist dealing with personal matters for much of the season. That’s inexcusable – especially for a team worth $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.

Chicago Cubs must get better at spending efficiently

The Ricketts family poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Wrigley Field and the surrounding area. After, all, the Cubs had the second-highest payroll in all of Major League Baseball this year – trailing only the Boston Red Sox. Both teams are watching October baseball from their homes this year.

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Meanwhile, two teams that rank near the bottom of the league in payroll – Tampa Bay and Oakland – reached the postseason. More than ever, you can make the case that it’s how you allocate your resources that matters most.

Granted, having $200-plus million at your disposal helps a great deal. But you have to maximize the return – something Epstein and the baseball ops department has failed to do.

“(…) we are focused on strengthening our roster, defining our team identity and fostering a culture of accountability to help us return to championship-caliber form. Selecting our new manager is just one of the many actions we’ll take. While it’s premature to predict the extent of change, we will be open-minded, thoughtful and thorough as we explore new opportunities and evaluate all levels of our operations to identify areas of improvement.”

Change is in the air. And while Maddon may have been the fall guy in the grand scheme of things, both Ricketts and Epstein have work to do this offseason as they look to get what once looked like the makings of a dynasty back on track in 2020 and beyond.