Re-signing Hamels was touted by Cubs brass as a big move amid fan complaints of team spendinggetty images
Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts tried to dispel the notion that the team has been sitting on the sideline this offseason, calling that criticism "misguided." Ricketts, during an appearance Thursday on WSCR-AM, reassured fans that the Cubs "have spent money this offseason" by re-signing P Cole Hamels and signing 2B Daniel Descalso and predicted that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has a "few moves left in him." Fans have wondered why the Cubs seemingly are not bidding on free agents Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, but Ricketts said the team knew it was not "going to have as much flexibility as years past" after signing P Yu Darvish last offseason to a six-year, $126M deal ("Mully & Haugh," WSCR-AM, 1/17). In Chicago, Gordon Wittenmyer noted Ricketts "acknowledged last year’s spending and the anticipated spending on future commitments, including big arbitration raises for core players are factors now." He said, “When you make any free-agent signing ... you know you can’t spend that dollar twice, and you have to budget that into the future. So that’s going to limit what you can do the following year." Ricketts: “One of the things we knew coming into this offseason was that we weren’t going to have as much flexibility as years past. We didn’t have big contracts coming off. We didn’t have a lot more cash coming in” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/18).
NOTHING TO SEE HERE: The Ricketts family will not make its regular panel appearance at the Cubs Convention this weekend, with Tom Ricketts claiming they "had the lowest-rated panel last year." He said, “It got kind of dull over the years because the questions were the same. If people want us to come back next year, fill out the forms and we’ll be happy to do it next year” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/18). After deciding not to go on the panel, Ricketts called himself the "most accessible owner in sports." He said, "I talk to people all the time. I answer my emails. It's just kind of funny to me, the timing of it. People ascribe some, like, agenda to it. The fact is, we were just boring people, and they want more time with players and coaches. So that's why it got canceled. We can always bring it back if people really liked it" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 1/18). In Chicago, Tony Andracki noted the Ricketts "typically hold a panel each year at Cubs Convention where they field questions for more than a half hour -- which promised to be must-see viewing this winter with the angst the fanbase is feeling" after the way the '18 season ended and the "quiet offseason to date" (NBCSPORTSCHICAGO.com, 1/17).
NO RSN DETAILS YET: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal notes Ricketts on Thursday "told listeners not to expect any announcements" regarding the Cubs' plans for their own RSN this weekend. The point of the Cubs Convention "always has been to strengthen fans’ ties to the team and build enthusiasm for the coming season." It is "hard to do that when announcing you’re going to be handing fans -- and possibly non-fans too -- a bill." The expense of a "dedicated TV outlet, designed to generate revenue for the Cubs and their owners, will almost certainly be tucked into cable bills." Cable subscribers "already subsidize NBC Sports Chicago with each monthly bill, just as they do ESPN, FS1, TNT, over-the-air channels and more." Rosenthal: "How much more are they willing to fork over to get the Cubs too?" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/18).
