Long before we were complaining about the Cubs’ failure to spend money on free agents, we were lamenting the organization’s failure to produce a homegrown pitcher. But now as we crawl through the offseason like Andy Dufresne escaping Shawshank, the only promise of freedom is a farm system that is going to have to start yielding new stars.
Sure, there’s still hope that Marquee Sports Network can make good on those wheelbarrows of cash that apparently disappeared in 2018. And with the Cubs only committed to around $45 million in payroll for 2022, there’s also an expectation that money will eventually have to be spent.