Championship chasing has been put on pause
Explaining the phenomenon of ‘CubStop’ to fans
Thanks to the whirlwind chaos surrounding the Cubs’ offseason, it’s easy for fans to become confused about what exactly is going on.
How can a company estimated to be worth
$3.2 billion be out of money, forcing the front office to wave goodbye to many of its star players and fill out the 2021 roster with low-salaried replacements on oneyear deals?
It’s complicated to be sure, but here’s a brief primer on the phenomenon known as CubStop.
What is CubStop? The term
“CubStop” derives from the fact the Cubs stopped competing for a championship in 2021 after winning the World Series in 2016 and falling short the next four years. A National League Central Division title in 2021 will suffice, and even that may be a stretch.
“I don’t think every single year you can put together a team that is the favorite to win the World Series,” team President Jed Hoyer said in November. “I don’t think that’s possible, and that’s probably a fool’s errand.”
So why did the Cubs stop?
Many factors are involved, including the end of contracts for starters Jon Lester and Jose Quintana; the impending end to contracts of third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez and first baseman Anthony Rizzo; the lack of a productive farm system; and the investment of tens of millions of dollars by the team owners, the Ricketts family, into real estate deals that include Wrigleyville restaurants, rooftops, a boutique hotel and an office building.
They also co-own a TV network with Sinclair Broadcasting to broadcast their games. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chairman Tom Ricketts claimed the Cubs and other teams suffered “biblical” losses of revenue, while insiders describe the losses with a technical term, “chump change.”
Without the revenue necessary to pay star players what they are worth on the open market, the Cubs have retrenched and allegedly will attempt to deal some of their remaining assets while fielding a team with one pitcher remaining from the championship core. This is known in Chicago as “the reckoning.”
Who is to blame for CubStop?
Many can be faulted, including former team President Theo Epstein, who held onto his star players too long before leaving the organization last in October with one year remaining on his contract; business operations President Crane Kenney, who faulted on his promise to deliver a “wheelbarrow full of cash” annually to Epstein and Hoyer; and Ricketts, who profited handsomely from the team’s soaring value yet refuses to spend during what most believe will be a momentary downturn.
“I don’t think anybody is tearing anything down,” Ricketts said in November.
Cubs players also can take some responsibility for failing to win a postseason game since 2017.
How is the average fan affected by CubStop?
The average fan can do little to prevent CubStop from happening.
All he or she can do is complain on social media or sports talk radio, or by starting his or her own blog. They cannot boycott games because the ballpark will not be open to fans for at least the start of the 2021 season.
Can the average fan stop watching the Cubs?
The easiest way to protest CubStop might be not to watch games on the Marquee Sports Network, but your local cable provider will continue to charge you a fee for having the network in your package whether you watch or not.
White Sox fans with the network on their cable package also will be charged the added fee, which is known in the business as “double jeopardy.”
Will CubStop affect the price of tickets at Wrigley Field?
If you have to ask this question, you know nothing about the Cubs.
Why is there a CubStop and not a SoxStop? The White Sox have different owners and are run by Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who is about to turn 85 and is desperate to see his team win at least one more championship. Instead of stopping during the pandemic, Reinsdorf has instructed his front office to spend whatever is necessary, within limits, to bring him another World Series ring.
If the team is worth $3.2 billion, why don’t the Rickettses sell it to someone who will stop CubStop?
The Rickettses did not buy the Cubs to get rich; they already were rich. The investments in the ballpark and businesses around Wrigley Field were intended to make them even richer and still might if things return to semi-normal in a year or two after the pandemic. They also enjoy being celebrities, though arguably they enjoyed it much more when they were lauded in 2016 for bringing Cubs fans their first championship in 108 years.
When will the Cubs stop CubStop? None of the experts can predict with any specificity when CubStop will run its course, though most expect at least three or four seasons before the Cubs can begin to compete for a championship again, assuming they improve the farm system with prospects acquired in trades.
The only players signed through 2024 are Kyle Hendricks, who has a $16 million option in 2024, and David Bote, who will make $5.15 million.
Does this strategy make any sense?
Check back in 2025.