Beleaguered Bryant still ‘believes in this team’
Can the Cubs afford to keep their top stars and other core players? KB thinks so.
MESA, Ariz. — Can the Cubs afford to keep superstars Kris Bryant and Javier Baez while saving some money for Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras and others whose contracts come up in the next couple of years?
It doesn’t seem likely to happen, but Bryant said Saturday that it can be done.
“I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the math of whatever the payroll situation is,” Bryant said in a revealing 36-minute news conference at the Nike Performance Center. “But I know that we just got this new network (Marquee Sports Network) for a lot of money, and the Cubs are one of the most profitable teams out there. And one of the most desirable teams (to watch).
“People always want to go to Wrigley Field. They want to go to Wrigleyville and see all the bars and everything that’s built up.
“The Ricketts family, they’ve done a really good job in terms of just changing everything about this franchise, and there is certainly money (to spend). It’s a very profitable game. It’s just a matter of if they want to (keep everyone). I don’t know (if they do). I really don’t. But it certainly would be cool.”
Certainly the Cubs have the money to spend if they want, though President Theo Epstein said in September that the expected windfall from Marquee doesn’t factor into the budget yet.
“The new TV deal, at least for the first few years, means the exact same thing for us as the old deal,” he said.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts also told Sports Business Journal last fall that the Wrigley Field renovation was costlier than expected, and “we probably missed our budget by 100%.” That’s around $500 million that could have been spent on retaining players had they managed the budget properly.
So Epstein’s task, if he accepts it, is to figure out a way to pay Bryant and Baez and still have enough left for the rest while staying under the luxury-tax threshold. Both players could command more than $300 million as free agents after the 2021 season.
Bryant said he was most disappointed that some believe the Cubs should trade him now because he “doesn’t want to be here in two years” and that he turned down a “monster extension well north of $200 million.”
That rumor stemmed from a report by NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan, the radio host and former pre- and postgame host on Cubs telecasts.
“I’m like, ‘Well, where was that? I never saw that,’” Bryant said. “It’s just these rumors and sources and people just saying things. The only thing that matters is what comes from my mouth. And never once have I said I never wanted to play here. … We have it so good here. Of course I’d love to play here.”
The Cubs paid more than $7 million in penalties after exceeding the $206 million tax threshold last year and made no major acquisitions in the offseason while trying to stay under the $208 million threshold for 2020. Epstein won’t discuss payroll matters but said Tuesday that they’ve been open about the budget and the “ramifications” of going over the luxury-tax threshold.
“I think all we’re trying to do is position ourselves the best we possibly can with the resources we have for now and the future, try to sustain as much success as possible,” Epstein said.
That’s why Bryant’s name has come up all winter in trade speculation, though Epstein only has threatened to make moves so far.
“I’ll be honest, it wasn’t as much turnover as we expected,” Epstein said. “All along we weren’t going to force change. We were seeking it in certain areas. … But I feel like any time you go out there and say we need to accomplish changes for changes’ sake, you probably make bad deals and make a tricky situation worse.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, pulled off a deal to insert superstar outfielder Mookie Betts into an already potent lineup. Bryant said the Dodgers “are doing all they can to win. They really want to win, and that’s admirable.”
So are the Cubs doing all they can to win?
Bryant paused for nine seconds before answering. It was the pause heard ‘round Wrigleyville.
“Ummmm … well, we really didn’t do much,” he said.
Bryant added he still
“believes in this team.”
“Of course we would’ve liked to have added people, but I don’t know who we would’ve added.”
The always helpful media chimed in with some suggestions.
Gerrit Cole?
“A little expensive,” Bryant said.
Re-sign Nicholas Castellanos?
“Certainly I would’ve loved to see Nick (stay),” Bryant said. “He’s a good player.”
The bottom line is Bryant wants to stick around and doesn’t want trade talk to become a distraction this season. So why not have agent Scott Boras call up Epstein and get something done?
“Like I’ve said ever since the very beginning, I’m always open to (an extension),” he said. “I’m always here to talk. It’s fun to talk about stuff like that because it’s a city I love so much, people I love so much — fans, teammates, everybody here that I’m so comfortable with.
“It’s like, of course you want to be here. But I don’t hold those cards. I just play third base and left field and right field and center field and first base and do what I do.”