Cubs not going all-in on free agency makes all the sense in the world

Chicago Cubs: There are still free agents now who fit into this plan

What the Cubs can do now is add in guys that are around the age-27 mark. Correa is currently 27 and, coupled with the fact that he is an elite defender and above-average offensive presence, is why he is currently the top free agent available. However, knowing he wants a lengthier deal of 10+ years puts him in the same category as the guys that are 30-32 and want five or six-year deals. Correa on a six or maybe seven-year deal would be fantastic. But you absolutely cannot be stuck paying guys an exorbitant amount of money once they start declining and your new young core is ready to help take the team to the next level.

Elsewhere, although the Blue Jays are now heavily interested in 29-year-old Kyle Schwarber, as is just about every team, the former Cub is exactly the type of player Chicago should be targeting right now. Suzuki is another guy to keep an eye on – and one that should be well within reach in terms of the contract he’ll demand. Schwarber and Suzuki are two guys you can sign now that make sense for both the short and long-term on the North Side.

In years past, I admit my guilt of thinking the Cubs don’t want to win until I remember one thing: this team was top 10 in terms team payroll since 2016. When your key guys don’t produce to the level you anticipated, there’s not much that can be done. Can an argument really be made that ownership is cheap and refuses to spend and doesn’t care about the fans after the contracts they gave to Jason Heyward, Yu Darvish, Craig Kimbrel and now Marcus Stroman?

The fact is, the Cubs have spent in the past and will continue to do so when it gives the ballclub the best and longest chance for success. Do not cut your future window short now just because there is money available and there are a bunch of All-Stars out there waiting for a new team. The benefits of waiting now are paramount given the organization’s current make-up.

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So fans, I implore you to seek reason that maybe Tom Ricketts and Cubs brass isn’t as cheap as you think. Maybe it’s all part of a greater vision. Maybe there is a blinding light at the end of the tunnel that we’re all too near-sighted to see because we can’t stand the thought of not winning now. Cubs fans had to be patient for 108 years until the team won it all and we have demanded greatest and effort from management ever since. Maybe, just maybe, we can all be a little more patient for two to three more years and this team will become lethal for years to come. The wait will be worth it.