When a franchise spends like royalty but finishes like a footnote, questions aren’t just asked—they’re shouted from rooftops. In a league where expectations age like milk, the clock ticks louder for front offices selling hope over hardware. The Cubs, once the toast of 2016, now find themselves juggling dollars, disappointment, and dwindling patience. And if you ask insiders, the real problem isn’t the money—it’s what fans think of it.
The important thing a franchise plays for in the MLB is to get to the World Series and win it. This is not only the franchise, but it is also the wish of every fan who follows an MLB team. This is the same in Chicago as well. The fans want the Cubs to win the World Series after winning it last in 2016. This is exactly what MLB insider Jesse Rogers said when he was on a podcast.
Jesse Rogers was on the Baseball Tonight Podcast with Buster Olney when he was asked about the Chicago Cubs and if there is any pressure on them to spend more. Rogers said, “There is a lot of pressure to make the playoffs. People don’t care if you spend $200 million, $100 million, or $300 million.”
In the 2024 season, the Cubs had a payroll of $229.5 million and finished the season with a win-loss record of 83-79. They were tied for second in the NL Central but failed to make it to the postseason. The same was true in the 2023 season, when they finished with the same record but finished third. The Cubs also had some big-name players on the team, but even they didn’t provide the output expected.
Players like Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel, and Miguel Amaya were paid some big bucks but could never reach the level they were hyped. There were also players like Cody Bellinger who were doing well and had an impact on the team, but frequent injuries had him sidelined and prevented him from making a regular impact.
Clearly, money doesn’t always buy October. Despite a $229.5 million payroll, the Cubs have managed to master the art of mediocrity two years running. With hyped names underperforming and injuries turning stars into spectators, the North Side faithful are left with only memories of 2016. As Jesse Rogers said, fans don’t care how much you spend; they just want a parade. Maybe it’s time the front office started shopping for results instead of resumes.
Craig Counsell sees silver lining in Cubs’ loss to the Padres
Baseball has its own way of serving humble pie—sometimes with a side of irony. Just when momentum seems within reach, the game reminds you who’s boss. The Chicago Cubs, guided by the ever-composed Craig Counsell, found themselves in one such lesson. It wasn’t the loss that stung the most—it was how it unfolded, one dropped opportunity at a time, under the bright lights of San Diego.
The last game of the series between the Cubs and the Padres went in favor of the Padres as they won the game 4-2. After the loss, Cubs manager Craig Counsell gave his view on the game and if there are any positive outcomes. He said, “That was just grit… We made mistakes, but we did not fold.”
While Counsell did acknowledge that the Cubs made mistakes, he also sees the effort by players to fix them. This shows the mentality of the team to never give up. He says that the season is never a straight line and there will be deviations, but as a team, we should be able to handle that.
And handle it they must—because baseball isn’t forgiving, especially when pop flies turn into pop quizzes on composure. The Cubs may have fumbled the basics, but they didn’t abandon the battle. If grit alone won games, Counsell’s crew would be undefeated. For now, though, resilience makes for good press conferences—wins still do the talking on the scoreboard.
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