Cubs News: Are players upset with the front office and ownership?

The Chicago Cubs have played the waiting game when it comes to committing to franchise players which could lead to tension, if it hasn’t already.

Next week will mark the anniversary of the Chicago Cubs ending the longest championship drought in sports history. A day that will be long remembered by fans, here we are nearly four years later with a dark cloud of uncertainty looming over the franchise.

How did we get to this point?

Well for starters, none of the original core players that raised the World Series trophy back in 2016 have been taken care of financially for the long-term.

Cubs Upcoming Free Agents:

• Anthony Rizzo (2021)
• Javier Baez (2021)
• Kris Bryant (2021)
• Kyle Schwarber (2021)
• Willson Contreras (2023)
• Albert Almora (2023)

I suppose you can take Almora out of the conversation given his level of production compared to those other players listed above, but let’s use Kris Bryant as an example for the “cheapness” of the front office and ownership.

Chicago Cubs: The Bryant debacle got things off on the wrong foot

Fans should look no further than the beginning of the 2015 season, when Epstein and the front office delayed Bryant’s MLB debut by a few weeks even though he appeared more than ready.

“More than anything, we want him to get in a good rhythm defensively before he makes his major league debut,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said at the time.

That is the biggest load of bull-crap I have ever heard. The reality is Bryant slashed .425/.477/1.175 with nine home runs in 14 games that spring. There isn’t a single team in the league who would turn down that offensive potential because of the defensive concerns Epstein spoke of.

The real reason they did this was to save a few days of MLB service time so Bryant can become a free agent next year as opposed to this upcoming offseason. That’s the first red flag for Bryant and super-agent Scott Boras against the Cubs’ front office.

Fast-forward the next two seasons, Bryant wins Rookie of the Year, NL MVP and is one of the main reasons the Cubs win the World Series in 2016. Rather than work out a deal in the past few years, Epstein and his crew appear to be procrastinating until the last possible moment to make their move.

Chicago Cubs need to act like a big-market organization

The only problem is Bryant’s value and production have taken a huge dip, and the same can be said about the other players on the team who will soon be hitting the free agent market.

As a club that plays in one of the largest financial market’s in the league, you would think spending money to help increase the chances of winning the World Series would be an afterthought.

Sure the Cubs can choose to play moneyball like the A’s or Rays and hope it gets them another title. However, the difference is those teams have no choice other than to piece together a roster with whatever nickels and dimes they have laying around.

After all, the owners of the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox don’t seem to be looking in their couch cushions for spare change these days. You’re telling me the Cubs – mind you with a brand-new TV network (Marquee Sports), new hotels, parking lots, restaurants, etc, all of a sudden have no money to spend? I’m not a numbers guy by any means, but I just don’t see how that adds up.