MESA, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs proprietor Tom Ricketts stated on Monday the workforce is “ready” on free agent Cody Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, to have interaction in contract negotiations. Although the edges have had “discussions,” in keeping with Ricketts, full-blown negotiations have but to happen.
“I am like everybody else,” Ricketts stated on report day for place gamers. “We’re simply ready. Ready for at any time when he and his agent are going to have interaction. It may very well be any time now or it may very well be in a couple of weeks. We’ll see the place it goes.”
Bellinger received comeback participant of the yr final season with Chicago after hitting .307 with 26 residence runs. It got here after a few down seasons with the Dodgers whereas the previous MVP handled lingering results of a shoulder harm.
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Ricketts was requested if he had talked with Boras about his shopper this winter.
“I do not discuss to Scott,” Ricketts stated. “One among his signature strikes is to go discuss to the proprietor. Whenever you do this, you undermine the credibility of your GM. Inserting your self into that negotiation, I do not assume that helps. I do not discuss to him.”
Boras pushed again on Ricketts’ evaluation, noting that the Cubs referred to as him on Bellinger final offseason.
“Free Company is about recruiting gamers,” Boras informed ESPN. “It is the conventional proprietor’s signature transfer to be concerned within the efforts of recruiting gamers and reaching out to me so I can convey to the participant the possession of the workforce covets them. That’s the essence of Free Company and it’s a customized and follow for possession to specific dedication and involvement.
“When Cody was a Free Agent final yr the Cubs engaged and had been very aggressive of their pursuit. And their course of is not any totally different this yr. So I’m not clear as to what Tom is suggesting.”
Only a few Boras purchasers have signed multiyear offers with the Cubs. In reality, it has been no less than a decade because the workforce signed or prolonged a Boras shopper to something however a one-year contract.
“There was some discussions nevertheless it hasn’t develop into a negotiation but,” Ricketts stated about Bellinger. “Till they’re prepared to barter, there’s not a lot we are able to do. We simply have to attend for when it will get critical earlier than speaking about what the tip cash quantities are.”
In different phrases, the Cubs aren’t keen to increase a suggestion inside the parameters set by Boras, believed to be nicely over $200 million, in keeping with sources earlier within the offseason, so the ready sport continues. The workforce does not have an issue with that.
“It is not like we’ll say, ‘Now we will go for it,'” Ricketts stated of an enormous cash outlay to a participant. “We’re attempting to be constant. The purpose is to be one of many groups that is at all times attempting to win and yearly has that chance.”
The Cubs made solely a few mid-level strikes this winter, including starter Shota Imanaga and reliever Hector Neris whereas buying and selling for rookie nook infielder Michael Busch. They nonetheless have an enormous gap from the left aspect of the batter’s field. Bellinger would assist.
“I feel Jed had a very good offseason,” Ricketts stated. “We have added some elements which are going to be useful to the entire. I do not see any purpose why we would not be favored for our division this yr.”
Ricketts pointed to final season’s World Collection consultant from the Nationwide League, the Arizona Diamondbacks, as proof that prime payrolls and lofty preseason predictions do not imply quite a bit. In reality, he is nicely conscious that the underside seed within the NL has reached the Fall Basic in every of the final 4 full seasons.
“That is the fantastic thing about baseball,” Ricketts acknowledged. “You do not have to have the best payroll or the most important stars. When you’re enjoying nicely, anyone can beat anyone. I used to be pleased for the Diamondbacks.”
Requested what it might take to extend payroll — the Cubs are at round $200 million proper now — Ricketts quipped “extra income.”
The longtime proprietor is not centered on what the workforce does not have — simply what they will do with the roster they do have.
“We’re proper there at CBT (Aggressive Steadiness Tax) ranges,” he stated. “It is type of our pure place for us. That ought to be sufficient to win our division and be constant yearly.”
