Even this Cubs hater just admitted the offseason might not be a disaster

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal never passes up an opportunity to throw shade toward the Chicago Cubs, and it's often tied to how Tom Ricketts instructs the front office to operate. The latest was when Rosenthal looked at the inactivity of the offseason, suggesting the Cubs need a starting pitcher and third baseman, but fans shouldn't expect the team to follow through with the proper moves.

As much as Cubs fans may hate the fact that Rosenthal is saying the quiet part out loud, he's not wrong. Ricketts treats the first level of the CBT as a salary cap, and it's a mindset that has handcuffed Jed Hoyer--who obsesses over any deal he attempts to make, desperately trying to ensure that the Cubs aren't losing value.

Ricketts' payroll stance, along with Hoyer's stubbornness, has created the perfect storm for why the Cubs' offseason can be viewed as a disaster.

Yes, the Cubs have spent nearly $30M in rebuilding their bullpen, but it was moves that got the unit back to where it was at the end of the 2025 season. Not to mention, it includes a $6M gamble on Hunter Harvey.

It's why the Cubs' offseason feels incomplete. The bullpen has been stabilized, but their roster isn't clearly better than the one that was a game away from reaching the NLCS last year. That is why it is curious to see Rosenthal, of all people, suggest that the team's work this winter isn't done.

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Before we go too far down the rabbit hole of what Rosenthal means, he may be injecting his opinion into the idea that the Cubs shouldn't be close to being done. It would be aligned with what he had in The Athletic earlier this week, and would match the general vibe of the offseason. As Rosenthal has leaned closer to a take artist, his basing this statement on his personal opinion shouldn't be completely ruled out.

In theory, it would be easy to see why the Cubs shouldn't be done. Edward Cabrera remains available on the trade front, and the free-agent market still includes Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, and Zac Gallen.

Plenty of potential moves are on the table, but the Cubs haven't exactly expressed an urgency to make them. It's entirely possible Rosenthal caught wind of something that could be in the works, but there's a banana in the tailpipe risk.