The Cubs Spend Like Drunken Sailors Who Nonetheless Generally Make Good Purchases

Over the last three seasons, no team in Major League Baseball has won more games than the Chicago Cubs.

Much of the success, of course, can be credited to their stockpile of young, positional talent – every single one of their first round picks from 2011-2015 (Javy Baez, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Ian Happ) is currently a key contributor to the big league squad – and shrewd trades, where they’ve acquired Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, and Jose Quintana, among many others over the years.

But as much as we’d love to say this golden age of Cubs baseball was built solely on amateur scouting and deal-making, we have to admit that the Cubs also spent their fair share in free agency … and then some.

The Cubs did not spend much last winter (no one in the NL Central did), but before the 2016 season, the Cubs committed $276.25 million in free agency. Those dollars, you’ll recall, were spread among Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, John Lackey, and Trevor Cahill, and were more than any other team in baseball.

The year before that, the Cubs were also among the most spending teams, dropping $191 million on Jon Lester, Jason Hammel, David Ross, Jason Motte, Tsuyoshi Wada, and Chris Denorfia. The final bill ($191M) wasn’t the most in MLB, but it did rank among the top three, behind only the Nationals and Red Sox. (The Cubs also added Miguel Montero’s contract in trade.)

After taking a year off in 2017, the Cubs’ spending is once again at the top of the class:

According to Jayson Stark, the Cubs $206 million in future dollars committed this winter was BY FAR the most in Major League Baseball – and we can finally say that confidently, given that almost all of the main free agents have signed (Alex Cobb and Greg Holland are left, but they’re not going to change these rankings).

I went over the Cubs offseason moves in greater detail this past weekend – so check out that post for a broader stroke – but, in short, here’s where there money was spent:

Yu Darvish – 6 years/$126M
Tyler Chatwood – 3 years/$38M
Brandon Morrow – 2 years/$21M
Steve Cishek – 2 years/$13M
Drew Smyly – 2 years/$10M
Brian Duensing – 2 years/$7M

(If you’re noticing that these numbers add up to $215M, not $206M like Stark suggests, it’s possibly because he’s not including the re-signing of Brian Duensing. There’s also the split deals for Shae Simmons ($750,000) and Dario Alvarez ($545,000) to account for, but we’re just splitting hairs at a certain point.)

No matter which way you cut it, the Cubs spent much more in free agency than any other team, and have now done so in two of the past four offseasons (while finishing among the top three in the third).

Now, to the credit of the front office, a string of highly successful drafts, trades, and periods of international free agency have allowed the Cubs to go hog wild on big-time free agents in recent years, while the rest of the roster remained relatively affordable in their pre-arb years. Without that core in place, you’d probably see the money spread out a bit more, with fewer total dollars committed. Moreover, it wouldn’t be worth supplementing a more mediocre team with three of the Cubs biggest free agent deals in team history (Darvish, Heyward, Lester) if there wasn’t a highly talented core to supplement in the first place.

But, yeah … the Cubs have spent a TON of money in the past four seasons, and, thankfully, they have plenty to show for it.

It’s a credit not only to the business side for helping supplement the available funds to spend, but also to the baseball side for using those fund well enough to justify the creation of more and more funds for spending.

written by

Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

more cubs news

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

Latest News

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Arizona Diamondbacks open their season as -231 favorites in a home matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -162 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for the contest.Mariners...

Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Shane Bieber gets the starting nod for Cleveland while Alex Wood...

Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Friday, March 29, 2024

The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres when they clash on Friday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Devils at -115 on the moneyline, and the Sabres at -105.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite,...

Guardians vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Cleveland Guardians (0-0) and the Oakland Athletics (0-0) match up on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Opening Day. First pitch is at 10:07 PM ET.The Guardians will give the nod to Shane Bieber versus the Athletics and Alex...

Mariners vs. Red Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Boston Red Sox (0-0) visit the Seattle Mariners (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 10:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Mariners will give the nod to Luis Castillo against the Red Sox and Brayan Bello.Mariners vs. Red Sox Pitcher...

more cubs news