Cubs: 3 overpaid players we need to break up with immediately
By Mark Powell
Theo Epstein is gone, and Jed Hoyer can clean up a lot of his mess.
As a big-market team looking to trim down their payroll thanks to the Ricketts’ family madness, the Cubs are expected to make major moves this offseason. With that in mind, the current Cubs roster has plenty of players worthy of getting rid of, but it’ll be easier said than done given their current contracts.
Hoyer himself faces major decisions regarding the core of the Cubs roster. Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant have been together during this team’s current string of postseason appearances, and even helped end the longest World Series drought in the history of baseball at 108 years at the time.
Epstein delivered on his promise, bringing a World Series to Chicago. He did the same in Boston and will now take his talents to another venture with a legendary career behind him. Should he ever want another job in a baseball front office, it’s his. But he leaves behind a Cubs payroll that stretches far beyond its means at this very moment, especially given the current economic outlook in baseball. A shortened season and a looming labor strike mean the Cubs have to make some painful cuts, especially in the player payroll department. It’s doable, but Cubs fans are unlikely to be happy with the realistic truth that many of their favorite players aren’t long for the North Side.
3. Craig Kimbrel
Kimbrel was once one of the most decorated relievers in all of baseball, but has since come crashing down to Earth. Kimbrel made seven of eight All-Star teams from 2011-2018 with both the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. He won a World Series championship with the Red Sox in 2018, and was a vital part of their bullpen to boot. Kimbrel’s low release point makes him virtually un-hittable when he’s on, but after a long offseason in 2019 saw him sign with the Cubs midseason, he hasn’t been the same.
The 32-year-old’s struggles are well-documented, and he’s still got two years and $32 million left on his deal. At this point, he’s a reclamation project, and certainly not worth the money the Cubs are paying him despite a slight resurgence over the last month of the shortened 2020 season.
Chicago should use that fool’s gold to trade Kimbrel while they still can. If not, they’ll be stuck with his salary for the next two years, or he’ll be a buyout candidate in 2022.