Chicago Cubs: Poverty cry is not fooling fans

The Chicago Cubs crying poverty is both hilarious and inaccurate.

The poor Chicago Cubs have fallen on some hard times. While the extent of the harm is unknown at this time, it’s quite possible that fans of the North Siders may have to pass the hat and take up a collection for their beloved baseball team.

Alright, perhaps that’s a slight overdramatization, but Tom Ricketts recent comments regarding the Cubs’ financial status was a little overdramatic.

Recently, while talking with reporters, Ricketts was asked why the Cubs didn’t spend more money in free agency this offseason. The obvious implication in this question is really: why didn’t you sign Manny Machado or Bryce Harper?

Ricketts’ response was simple and direct — “We don’t have anymore.”

Wait a second — what now? The Cubs don’t have any more money? Where did it go? Do we need to contact the local constable and report a theft in the offing? Did it up and vanish with help of supernatural forces? Both scenarios are unlikely. What is more likely is that the owner of the Cubs is taking fans for fools.

Look, this isn’t about the Cubs being cheap. To their credit, they have the second highest payroll in baseball and are already over the luxury tax threshold by just under $21 million according to Spotrac. So I’m not going to disingenuously write that the Cubs are cheap.

However, they are being slightly disingenuous themselves. Look, tell fans you don’t want to spend any more money. Tell them you think the money would be better deployed in another capacity. Tell them you don’t think Machado and Harper are worth the contracts it would take to sign them. Heck, you can even tell them that you just like money and want to keep as much of it for yourselves as possible.

Just don’t tell fans you’re broke, because no one will believe you. Especially not since you play in one of the largest markets in all of baseball, or that the Ricketts family is worth approximately $2.3 billion. But especially don’t say it less than one week after inking a multi-billion dollar deal with Sinclair Media to broadcast Cubs games, which fans will now have to pay a premium for.

Making such statements comes across not only as untrue but as disconnected with reality. The only saving grace is that fans aren’t being fooled.