MLB insider gives Tom Ricketts no cover in blunt comments about Cubs' offseason

It's not just fans who are waiting for the Chicago Cubs to make a big splash this winter. With numerous high-profile free-agents still available, including the likes of Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez, there's still time to change the narrative.

Unfortunately, there are no indications to suggest the front office or ownership is poised to do an about-face when it comes to how they approach the offseason and roster-building,

In the latest episode of the Baseball Insiders podcast, FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray singled out the Cubs, more or less saying it was inexcusable to lose Tucker, one of the best players in the game when healthy, and respond only by rebuilding a bullpen (moves, which, frankly had to be made given they lost almost every impact reliever from last year).

Cubs are drawing fire for lack of major moves again this offseason

Then, he took aim and put the Cubs in his crosshairs.

" (...) You need to make a splash because, I mean, you're the Chicago Cubs. “You're a big market team. You shouldn't be losing the division as big as they did to the Milwaukee Brewers. They should go out and spend, act like a big market team. And to me, that involves either signing Bregman, signing Bellinger, or just doing something big because they need to do something.”

So far, the team's biggest expenditure this winter is a two-year pact with veteran reliever Phil Maton. They've made no notable position player additions (no disrespect to Tyler Austin or Scott Kingery) and, as of right now, are poised to go all-in on Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros off-setting the loss of Tucker, who even in an injury-plagued 2025, was a 4.6 bWAR player who posted a 143 OPS+.

It feels like we're watching a re-run of last offseason when it comes to the Cubs' interest in Bregman. There's smoke there, sure, but will Hoyer (and by extension, Ricketts) pony up what it takes to out-bid the Red Sox, the rumored front-runner and team that landed him last year in free agency? It would be surprising, to say the least.

The Bellinger rumors feel more like Scott Boras trying to squeeze some more money or maybe an additional year out of the Yankees because the fit is far from perfect - and would virtually demand Hoyer trades Caissie in a deal for a front-line starting pitcher because you need to create room in the outfield and both Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ have no-trade protection and Pete Crow-Armstrong isn't going anywhere.

Regardless of which player you want to see call Wrigley home in years to come, the message Murray - and the entire fanbase - has for all the shot-callers in the offices at Gallagher Way is clear: quit playing small ball and start to show up in a way that's equal to your standing and financial power.