The Chicago Cubs ran baseball's seventh-highest payroll in 2024, according to Spotrac. They also missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
For now, the Cubs show no signs of moving up in either area.
More news: Cubs Make Trade, Acquire Former First-Round Draft Pick From Angels
ESPN's Jeff Passan, speaking on the Baseball Tonight podcast with colleague Buster Olney, reported Friday that the Cubs are not involved yet with the offseason's biggest free agents.
"I've gotten no sign so far that the Chicago Cubs are going to be involved in any of the major free agents," Passan told Olney. "That may change. Let's remember last winter, when the price came down on Cody Bellinger, suddenly the Cubs are back in."
Ironically, the only Bellinger news linked to the Cubs this winter was a recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that the Cubs want to trade Bellinger but "they also note the difficulty the team likely will face pulling off such a move."
More news: Cubs' New Front Office Hire Reveals Big Shift in Pitching Philosophy
Bellinger is owed $27.5 million next year and holds a $25 million player option in his contract for 2026.
The Cubs acquired catcher Matt Thaissfrom the Los Angeles Angels for cash on Wednesday. In a recent interview with Buster Olney, Cubs GM Carter Hawkins confirmed he was in the market for catching and starting pitching help.
More news: Cubs Looking to Trade $27.5 Million Star: Report
Passan suggests the Cubs aren't lining up to sign Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, or any of the other top-of-the-rotation arms on this winter's free agent market — but that might change as the offseason drags along.
"Every winter, one guy who's out there in free agency doesn't get what he's wanting and lasts for a while," Passan said. "Perhaps the Cubs jump in there, but I don't anticipate right now that they're going to be involved in any of the major players."
More news: Cubs GM Identifies Top Two Offseason Targets
With Bellinger opting into the next year of his contract, the Cubs have most of the key players returning from a team that went 83-79 for the second straight year. Hawkins and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer might not have that much work cut out for them to narrow the gap with the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
If their operating budget is slim, however, the Cubs' front office might have to get a bit more creative.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
English (US) ·