The muted slogan, "wait to next year," is already happening before the season ends, as writers and fans begin the 2012 autopsy of the Cubs.
As it stands, the Cubs will to into the winter with 10 players who have contracts or will be offered arbitration: Soriano, Marmol, Garza, DeJesus, Samardzija, Concepcion, Castro, Russell, Barney, Valbuena. The base salary for these ten players is around $53.47 million, with the arbitration eligible players of Garza, Samardzija, Russell and Valbuena will probably get moderate raises so the team will be at around $55 million with 15 positions to fill on the opening day roster.
If the remaining roster is filled with non-arbitration eligible players like Castillo, Clevenger, Dolis or Campana, those 15 prospects would add only $7.5 million to the base payroll, for a total of $62.5 million. Cot's Baseball contracts pegged the Cubs 2012 payroll at $109.4 million. So it is possible that the Cubs payroll will decrease by $46.9 million or 42.9 percent.
Even though Hoyer has told the press the Cubs will be in the free agent market, it is doubtful that the Cubs will want to spend money on premiere free agents for a club that may lose another 100 games in 2013. And what kind of free agent would be willing to join the Cubs when the team is hitting rock bottom?
The two glaring holes to fill are at third base and center field. It is doubtful that the new front office will be patient with Jim Hendry prospects Josh Vitters or Brett Jackson. But is less likely that the Cubs will go out and spend tens of millions of dollars on a veteran third baseman or center fielder when they will not be around when the blueprint of the turnaround comes in 2015.
So fans should brace themselves for another 2012 season in 2013.
