Cubs have other battles to focus on before worrying about the Dodgers' offseason

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have enjoyed a recent wave of signings, the Chicago Cubs are not helpless. The resolution of Roki Sasaki's unique free agency was not dictated by money. The Japanese phenom chose the World Series champions closer to his home. The Cubs made an unprecedented (for them) four-year contract offer to Tanner Scott but were narrowly outbid. Had the Cubs matched the Dodgers' offer, would he have chosen Chicago? Would such an offer have been prudent? The fact is the Cubs have plenty of work to do on themselves before they worry about teams outside their division.

According to Forbes, the Cubs' revenue in 2023 was 92 percent of the Dodgers' revenue, 35 percent higher than the Cardinals' and more than 50 percent higher than the Brewers. Mirroring the revenue advantage, the Cubs projected 2025 payroll will roughly double that of the Brewers' and check in more than 20 percent above St. Louis. Our divisional rivals ought to be complaining about us, yet the Cubs have not won a full-season NL Central title since 2017. Baseball doesn't boil down strictly to payroll: the decisions made by front offices matter a great deal, as well, if not more.

The unmistakable takeaway is that the Cubs have squandered their revenue advantage. Their inability to develop starting pitchers has led to three-fifths of their starting rotation making over $40 million this year. And none of them are true aces. Another $80 million this season will go to Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki as part of long-term contracts. Each is excellent and the type of players that contending teams need. But each one is being paid top dollar for their roles. None provide the cheap production of pre-arbitration players.

It goes without saying: these spending commitments reduce the dollars available for bullpen help. The result is the unfortunate reality that a poor bullpen may have kept the Cubs out of the postseason each of the last two seasons. This deprived the organization of a possible October revenue boost as well.

Even trades made to save salary have been disappointing. Four years after trading Yu Darvish, all the Cubs have to show is a Triple-A outfielder. The team had to pay the Yankees $5 million to take Cody Bellinger and the rest of his contract after he disappointed in the first year of the deal he inked with the team last spring.

The trade for Kyle Tucker is one hopeful sign. The Cubs have swapped in Tucker's production for Bellinger's while saving $6 million. They have also added a couple of Major League bullpen pieces and will almost surely sign another. The team figures to be below the first luxury tax threshold enough to make a significant in-season acquisition or two without penalty. The emergence of players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Miguel Amaya, Michael Busch, Matt Shaw and Porter Hodge holds out the hope of cheap production.

The Cubs enjoy a revenue advantage over their division rivals that dwarfs any structural advantage the Dodgers may possess. Let us dominate our division before we look for other dragons to slay.