3 key moments from Cubs Convention - including provocative remarks from Tom Ricketts

Right on cue, temperatures plummeted across Chicagoland as the 2025 Cubs Convention drew to a close on Sunday after bringing together thousands of fans already excited for the upcoming season - one in which the Chicago Cubs are favored to win the NL Central, even with a roster that's largely viewed as incomplete.

There were countless memorable moments - and we'll touch on a few of the big ones here in a minute, but I'd be remiss if I didn't call out a pair of Cubs fans bidding a staggering $20,000 for a pair of signed Ryne Sandberg jerseys with the Hall of Famer in the room for Cubs Bingo Saturday night or the love that Ryno got during the Opening Ceremony. It's clear that Cubs fans everywhere are pulling for the iconic infielder as he resumes his cancer battle.

Sammy Sosa stole the show - and loved every minute of the weekend

Returning from a more than two-decade-long exile from the Cubs organization, Sammy Sosa carried himself with supreme confidence and a buoyant energy that emanated throughout every room he set foot in - starting with a standing room only grand ballroom during Friday's Opening Ceremony.

Sosa brought the room to life, running out with an American flag after being announced as the second member of this year's Cubs Hall of Fame class, joining former teammate and fellow Cubs slugger Derrek Lee. Paying homage to an unforgettable moment at Wrigley Field nearly 25 years ago with the nation reeling from the 9/11 attacks, Sosa took multiple laps around the stage with the flag, hugging fellow players and giving high-fives to fans.

During his appearance on Ian Happ's The Compound podcast, which also featured new Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker, Sosa oozed confidence. He called himself an entertainer and referenced the blockbuster Gladiator when talking about winning over a crowd. The team's all-time home run leader still knows how to put on a show and he turned the charisma up to 11 in his return to CubsCon.

Frustrations with the front office simmered throughout the weekend

It's unfair to blame Jed Hoyer for all the moves he doesn't make, because it's very clear at this point, he's working within the box Tom Ricketts puts him in budget-wise. But that didn't stop some fans from laying into Chicago's president of baseball operations on Saturday morning, namely when he gave a non-answer when asked about a possible Alex Bregman pursuit.

The news the Cubs lost out on All-Star closer Tanner Scott broke Sunday morning as folks were packing up and getting ready to leave the Sheraton and that pushed even more people over the edge with their frustrations in an offseason that's felt painfully slow since the team acquired Kyle Tucker and dumped Cody Bellinger's salary in a trade with the New York Yankees.

It's clear this roster needs a few more additions between now and Opening Day - but patience is running thin and that was painfully obvious throughout conversations both public and private all weekend long.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts isn't going to change his thinking or ways

In a sitdown with 670 The Score, Tom Ricketts didn't score any points with fans who have grown fatigued watching teams like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers treat their baseball ops budgets like they're made of Monopoly money.

What Ricketts said isn't inaccurate - the budgets of the Mets and Dodgers far surpass those of the other 28 MLB teams. But there's a general sentiment given the value of the Cubs' franchise (between $4 and 5 billion, depending on which estimate you prefer) and the Ricketts' family's personal wealth (another $5+ billion), that there's money that could be spent - and isn't.

These comments from Ricketts really rubbed people the wrong way - but I suppose after years of hearing similar refrains, I've become numb to them. The Cubs aren't going to be making record-setting free-agent pitches or fielding MLB-record payrolls. That's just not how ownership has or will ever operate.

The truth is this: the Cubs could spend more. But if they missed out on the postseason, it could lead to diminished profits - something Ricketts isn't amenable to. Despite being one of the most valuable franchise in all of sports, Chicago will likely continue fielding payrolls in the top-third of the league, but will fall well shy of being the tone-setter in the game, despite an clear opportunity to win in 2025.