You’ve seen the story, and it is, unsurprisingly, more cowardly shit from the Chicago Cubs. I honestly don’t think it’s that newsworthy because it seemed so obvious to me a week ago that they were already signaling to fans that Tarik Skubal wasn’t a possibility this offseason, but now we’ve gotten more confirmation.
At least Cubs fans won’t be subject to a bullshit pursuit of Skubal, as The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma ripped off the Band-Aid on Monday. Yes, the Cubs need to address their pitching staff, and while they are expected to be active, they won’t be making a play for Skubal this offseason.
Via The Athletic.
The Cubs have shown no interest in spending like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. This winter, one in which labor negotiations muddy the waters for teams and their finances, won’t be an exception. To paint a picture of Chicago’s likely path forward this offseason, The Athletic talked to multiple people familiar with the team’s plans, who spoke anonymously so they could candidly discuss the matter. That included conversations about Skubal, the biggest name of this winter’s free-agent class. Though the Cubs are expected to stay on the sidelines during that frenzy, they will at least check in on every other free-agent pitcher.
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Sweet. Way to start the offseason with the same pathetic shit that’s plagued this organization for a decade. We’re still talking about beating Jason Heyward’s $184 million contract, and while I agree that spending money doesn’t automatically guarantee success, the Cubs still fail to even try. It’s a joke.
The need for a legit ace has never been more apparent for the Cubs, and they have a chance to sign Skubal, but they’re already tapping out. They can spend more than anyone else in the NL Central, but they still cap themselves every year. They’re miles behind the Milwaukee Brewers in minor league and pro development, so the one area where they can actually flex their muscles is by spending, and we’re back to hoping that their under-the-radar, or value signings all work out.
We’ve seen how that’s worked out over the past few years. Irritating. Blame ownership. Blame Jed Hoyer. Whoever. The only thing that matters is that the Cubs won’t be going after the top free-agent starting pitcher available this offseason, and that fucking sucks.
(Previous Update)
Nothing is more insulting from your team than a report claiming how badly they want a player, only to read the very next sentence that tells you the sad truth. The Chicago Cubs have no chance of signing Tarik Skubal, the top free agent available this offseason, and you don’t have to look much further than Jeff Passan, who said the quiet part out loud.
The Cubs supposedly want Skubal badly, according to Passan, but with any top free agent, it comes down to money. The left-handed starting pitcher is the ideal target the Cubs should focus on this offseason, and while it’s encouraging to see how desperate they are to get him, money talks. So, really, how desperate are the Cubs to pursue Skubal, who will likely sign the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history?
Not desperate at all. Skubal’s price tag has been established as MLB free agency has begun, and while the Cubs can try to play this game in the media, there’s no hiding their true intentions. Don’t get excited about Skubal; the Cubs are pretty much telling fans that they have no shot at signing him.
Via ESPN.
Skubal is far and away the best player in this class, and the expectation is he will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout. The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. There are bound to be others. The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get — well in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range -Jeff Passan
The bottom line is that the Cubs can try to show how much they want Skubal, but it won’t matter if they don’t commit to spending top dollar, which it takes to sign the best free agents.
And as optimistic as I want to be, Passan has already said publicly that the Cubs know they can’t match the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, or whatever other team is willing to pay Skubal a record-breaking contract.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that an offseason without Skubal should automatically be considered a failure for the Cubs, but there’s no need to feed this bullshit to the fan base. Do you badly want to sign Tarik Skubal? Really? Then, prove it. Don’t give us this sob story, intimating the team can’t compete with the other big-market teams. Because that’s exactly what that blurb from Passan gives off. A “poor is us” narrative that the Cubs are already spreading in the media.
We don’t want to hear. It’s been 10 years since winning the World Series. You haven’t been one of the final four teams left in the playoffs since 2017. We’re tired of the excuses. Just get the job done.
