In the past few years, the Cubs have been the bridesmaid on several high profile free agents.
If you recall, the local media talkers were foaming at the mouth in their zeal to acquire these big free agents to turn around the Cubs tide. But for whatever reason (money to propaganda), the Cubs could not land the big fish:
Masahiro Tanaka, Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes, Anibal Sanchez, Russell Martin, Shin-Soo Choo, Brian McCann, Melky Cabrera, and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Tanaka and Darvish both broke the starting pitcher bank, but both got hurt along the way.
Cespedes was okay in Oakland and Boston, and possibly could be had today in a trade.
Sanchez had a great 2013, but cooled a little in 2014 but still is a quality starter.
Choo, McCann and Ellsbury seem to be underperformers and disappointments.
Cabrera had a PED bump in the road, but came back to continue to be a .300 hitter.
The lesson is that big money free agent don't necessarily pan out. If the Cubs got half the guys they wanted, they could have been stuck with highly paid deadweight in Choo in LF, McCann at C and possibly an arm weary Japanese starter.
