National insider doesn't hold back in undressing of Chicago Cubs' ownership

One day after the Chicago Bears' ownership may have been forced into firing head coach Matt Eberflus after another embarrassing moment on national television, the Chicago Cubs got their moment in the sun when Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic used his platform to shred their efforts this offseason on a national level.

Rosenthal's biggest point of contention with the Cubs' ownership is how willing the team is to put out the messaging that they aren't entertaining a pursuit of Juan Soto this offseason. In a division where the Cubs can separate themselves from their counterparts if they spend money and pursue free agents at the top of the market, Ricketts, along with Jed Hoyer, is content with baseball operations acting like a small-market team.

The biggest reason why the Cubs don't deserve the benefit of even acting like a mid-market team is their handling of the Cody Bellinger situation. The Cubs were so locked onto the idea that Bellinger was going to test free agency this winter, saving them over $52MM for the next two seasons. Instead, Bellinger exercised his player option for 2025 and it seems as if the Cubs will be selling him off to any team willing to take on the majority of his contract.

What makes the approach from Tom Ricketts and the Cubs' front office even more damning is that they are failing at their stated goal. The farm system was believed to be the method by which the Cubs would open their next contention window under Hoyer. It's 2025 and the only blue-chip prospect that has arrived at the Major League level since the sell-off at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline is Pete Crow-Armstrong. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds have all seen top prospects reach the Major League level and become stars.

Entering a season where the Cubs seemingly need to reach the postseason to stave off front-office changes, the setup would suggest that the voices in charge of the operation are comfortable with being the little engine who couldn't.