Just to get our minds off the game tonight and relax. Thought we could bitch about something else. I see the Cubs going on the cheap again, gonna be terrible with a low payroll and expecting fans to pay top dollar for tickets. BOYCOTT Wrigley Field and the Cubs network
Cubs on the cheap AGAIN
- Thread starter jdbrees922
- Start date
Votto has been so overlooked because that franchise is now mired in mediocrity. Had a friend with Diamond Tickets and saw some great games over the years.
Still....try following The Tribe for close to six decades......sorry.....Guardians.
At least you’ve been to a World Series this century, but I get your point. I am old enough to have enjoyed the Big Red Machine and the Nasty Boys, but blame MLB in general for the disparity in teams these days.
Yes - but in typical Cleveland fashion (save Kyrie Irving's game-winner), ultimate heartbreak for the city. Admittedly, I don't follow professional team sports anywhere near as much as I used to.
General decline in professional sports from structural issues - I would agree. Loved the Big Red Machine - I snuck down to the basement (past curfew) to catch a couple of the games against the Red Sox in '75 on the old black and white TV we had.
Can't wait for the big Field of Dreams showdown...that will be a CLASSIC.
Both franchises should be ashamed, but, the Cubs way more so....the Reds have been clowning around for some time, and, don't have near the resources that the Cubs do...the OP has it spot on...the Cubs are a joke.
First time in some time that I did not even buy tix to a game in Wrigley...just no interest...literally, if I buy tix, it will be for the opponent. For years we have gone to games as a family, but, chose not to back in '13 or '14 when they were tanking and still charging ridiculous prices, and, same now...refuse to pay what they are charging to essentially watch a AAA (at best) team play against MLB competition.
Reds...no idea what the plan is there (as there does not seem to be one)...I guess the one thing to take some solace in with them is that they are stockpiling some young talent...they won't pay to retain them apparently when the time comes, but, they at least have that...the Cubs have nothing...cheap as can be, no farm system, no top prospects, no commitment at all to winning...an ownership that only cares about making as much money as possible (and, going about it in all the wrong ways).
I don't know if there has ever been a greater disparity...never as pronounced as it is. I am at a point where I just don't want the Dodgers to win (which is almost impossible).
Wait, you don't think bringing Smyly back is going to be impactful?
The Cubs traded everybody last year so that they could be players in the FA market...at least that is what they said (but, like everything else that they say, it was a bold lie).
No cheaper franchise in all of baseball...they quit a year ago, and, have made the most minimal of effort that could be made to even form a semblance of an actual MLB roster.
It doesn’t make sense why he is not signing anyone big since he is bidding for ownership of Chelsea (opening the wallet there). I like they are rebuilding the farm system with the trades from late last year. Cubs need another starting pitcher but just don’t make a bad signing like Heyward. I like the Suzuki and Stroman signings.
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Covid year.....all screwed up. At least Kersh stays another year but Kenley is going to Fatlanta.
I say it (and mean it), but, admittedly, if it were the Cubs being the Dodgers, I would not complain as I do with the Dodgers doing it.
I just hate that they have bought their way to a championship contender...again, I hate it more in that the Cubs have consciously made zero effort to do so.
Props to the Dodgers for the commitment to the cause, and, as much as I don't want them to win...I am hard pressed to think of guys that I actually don't like for them...I mean, they are a team of megastars, but, not like I dislike Betts...or Freeman...or Turner (either of them)...or Muncy....I like their pitching staff...very talented, and, good guys in general. I don't even believe Roberts could mess up what they have...they ARE the NL All-Star team.
What doesn't make sense? They are cheap as cheap can be...they are not trying to win...and, they are not spending money to do so...and won't. They ONLY care about making as much money as possible, which, has turned into ridiculous ticket prices, buying all of Wrigleyville, adding Sports Books, their own completely stupid network (which only further alienated fans), and, now buying professional soccer franchises. They open the wallet for anything/everything but actually winning games...as, they know that winning games does not matter, or, at least matters the least.
The reason you (and I) like the signings is because they are actual MLB-caliber guys that are so lacking otherwise on that roster, and, what is the common denominator with both of the signings...crazy cheap contracts relative to the market and actual truly best players. They signed Suzuki as much for the ability to market him/them internationally as because of what he may actually add as a player, as, frankly, there is no way to know what he may add as a player...unlike other said free agents that were proven commodities (and, because they could get him for less than those other guys that are proven commodities).
Losing Correa to the Twins...by signing Simmons? The epitome of both cheap AND stupid.
The Cubs don't even have a starting rotation...they have three guys...none of which is elite.
The whole pitch with not signing any of their core star players was that they in turn had a ton of money to spend in Free Agency, and, yet, they STILL found a way to be incredibly cheap and do next to nothing.
The Cubs are not rebuilding the farm system...their farm system is complete garbage...because the previous regime traded the talent that it did have, and, did not draft a single pitcher that they developed, and, they made horrible draft decisions on guys like Almora and Happ. They got prospects in those deals that they made, but, not anybody that is a franchise-changing sort of guy...not guys that are future All-Stars, and, even if they were, they have shown repeatedly that they won't spend money to keep any of them...literally, ANY of them...the Cubs have not re-signed a single quality guy since the Ricketts' took over the franchise.
The Cubs suck...because Cubs ownership sucks. They have sucked for a long time...it is just more disappointing now because ownership does not care that they suck, and, because there was a brief period where they did not suck and they feel like THAT was enough to allow for them to just suck for 100+ years again (while they rake in money).
running rizzo out was the last straw. Everything he has done and was doing for Chicago. They would be lucky to win 70 games with this roster.
Not just running him out, but, actively running him out...not paying him what they should have while he was there and taking advantage of such, and, then just kicking him to the curb. Cheap as he!!, and, incredibly disrespectful as well.
I hope they don't win 70 games...they deserve to suck for what they did/have done as a franchise.
We signed Marcus Stroman and Seiya Suzuki this offseason- neither were insignificant and neither were players that you sign if you’re just trying to tank. We are simply in a rebuilding mode and you can’t build a contender in 1 year. I don’t want to overpay for guys and have really bad contracts on the books like Heyward and Soriano
Rizzo has been in decline for years and they offered him more money to extens him than what he ended up getting on the open market. Don’t know how that is running him out.
They signed Stroman and Suzuki as the cheapest options available...they were never involved on any of the legit best starting pitchers or quality position players.
The Cubs have spent much of a century in "rebuilding mode", and, if they freaking spent any money while they actually had talent on the roster, they would not be in a rebuilding mode...they had to get rid of EVERY core player that they had because they would not pay them.
A bad contract (i.e,, Heyward) is not justification for not continuing to spend money and try to win, ESPECIALLY for a franchise like the Cubs that all but print money (and, now with the sportsbook, maybe they even literally do that).
Rizzo is better than anybody they have, or signed...decline or not, and, they took advantage of him financially while he was there.
They ran him out...they gave him away...they SHOULD have offered him more money.
Best thing that ever happened as a fan in that I never thought it would happen, but, the worst thing at the same time as it provided ownership the excuse to just suck thereafter essentially forever again.
They could have won more/again, but, they did not want to spend to do so...heck, they only won the one that they did because Fowler came back after they chose not to pay him...he was gone and elected to come back last minute, and, it is the only reason that they won the one that they did.
They did not ever add to that WS team...they were crazy cheap instead. Look what the Yankees have done when they have not won....the Astros...the Dodgers. Those franchises are committed to winning (or at least trying to)....the Cubs (and Reds) are not.
Contract expires I believe after '23 season...so, this year and next still.
That said, they could (and should) have parted ways with him regardless...it is lost money either way in that you barely get more with him on the roster and playing than you would if he was not.
He got $16m per from Yankees setting himself i for another contract vs $14m per from the cubs. I indersyanf the totals were different. You are just as bad as owners of you treat rizzo like a commodity and not all the intangibles he has brought to the city. You think it’s ok for employers to tell older employees, I underpaid you for years but now you are getting old and slower so I’m going to start paying you less despite to it loyalty, great office culture, and ambassador for the organization? Nope.
They going to give a discount on tickets?
They said hey let us play more night games and we can increase revenue and pay for better team on field. Let us put more advertisements and dump wgn and move games to own network all to increase revenue for payroll. They charge a stupid amount for tickets to see a garbage team.
they are $50m under what is an acceptable payroll ($200m) at about $150m. You think they will “roll over” the savings haha. You might call that overpaying but they could have picked up or kept some short term difference makers that can be good mentors to their youth (ahem rizzo) and some young fielders to long contracts that would extend into the good years such as Corey Seager. Those two guys put us close to $200m.
they biggest mistake aside from letting their core walk was not getting Bryce Harper writing was on the wall then.
They should have offered him more money than what was already more than any other team offered. Uhh… why??
Why would a team outbid themselves?
Really silly to say that Rizzo is currently better than anyone we have when we have Contreras, Schwindel, Happ and Suzuki and Hoerner/Madrigal as young bats that are still improving. You can argue that we should have paid Rizzo for services that he had already rendered. You can not argue that someone that is in such sharp decline is better than anyone we have.
I would welcome that for sure...more so given his Purdue ties.
I was incredibly disappointed to miss the chance to talk to him when he was at Mackey earlier this year.
I am responding on your point that they allegedly offered him more money...they SHOULD have...they owed him more money first of all, and, for what he had given the franchise and the known commodity that he was, they owed him more money...not saying that they should have offered him even more money/outbid themselves, but, that the idea that they had offered him more was justified in that they should have offered him more.
Schwindel you kidding me? He’s less than 3 years younger than rizzo and failed everywhere but he had a good 56 game run…
hoerner and madrigal have done nil they can’t stay healthy.
happ is the reason the cubs have struggled to score runs can’t make contact.
I’ll give you Willson but they ain’t signing him the signing of the backup was the writing on the wall which is too bad they could build around willson.
suzuki is unproven in the us.
