Cubs’ high-priced roster could leave it impacted by MLB proposal

The Chicago Cubs roster could hurt the high-priced players–including those making $10 million or more.

The Chicago Cubs and MLB proposal could create an issue with the high-priced payroll the Cubs have. Currently, Jason Heyward, Jon Lester and Yu Darvish were scheduled to make $20 million this year. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Tyler Chatwood, Anthony Rizzo, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks and Craig Kimbrel are scheduled to make $10 million this year, as well.

Those 10 players will make $5.15M to $2.95M, give or take. So those 10 players will make a quarter of their salaries? Are you serious? It’s going to be a long week of back-and-forth discussions among the league and the MLBPA.  Jon Heyman laid it out like this.

So 1/4 of the 40 man roster could take the biggest hit? Now, they still would be making several million dollars, but they would be taking a cut of 50% or more. Entering the season, the Cubs owed $216.65 million, fourth in MLB behind the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers in projected luxury tax. That’s not something you want to talk about it when you didn’t make the playoffs.

‘Extremely disappointing,’ is how the MLBPA had put it. I bet. You thought this was going to take a week? Pfft. More like a month or more. Okay, I’m just kidding (or am I?)

The Cubs and ‘high-priced’ roster was bound to cause them issues. It leaves them with half a season– or less–to figure out what will work. Chatwood, Quintana, Steven Souza and Jeremy Jeffress will be free agents next year. Could you imagine Souza and Jeffress not getting a chance to ‘audition’ for the team? That’s daft!

Souza and Jeffress will likely get a chance for the Cubs. But you figure with injuries (Souza has had two in the past two years,) taxi squad and the like? They won’t get to impress David Ross, Andy Green or any of the coaches. And Chatwood still seems likely to nab a one or two year deal. Quintana? That highly seems questionable.