The Cubs are 733-725 under the ownership of the Ricketts family, and average 81-79 per season. They've only been anywhere close to aggressive financially in 2 of 9 years. To have the audacity to claim that they've done all they can do in terms of payroll is [expletive] disgusting. They worked hard to suppress payroll for half a decade before even thinking about trying to win games. This is the first year they will flirt with the top of the payroll lists, after raking in tons of cash, and to get cold feet now is absolutely ridiculous. Apologizing for their belt tightening is pathetic. I'm willing to give the Ricketts the benefit of the doubt the first few years they owned the club. As much as I'd like to think I'd hit the ground running and create a championship caliber team overnight, I'd probably have a learning curve with everything that goes along with ownership, even with a couple billion dollars at my disposal. When Epstein came on board, he had a plan to turn the club into perennial contenders (though the "parallel fronts" line turned out to be a truckload of crap). That plan included spending money when the time came. Well, now they are perennial contenders and now is that time. Bryce Harper is a guy who can turn what is now a very good ball club into a team that could be unstoppable. Not to mention the fact he'll generate revenue with his national following. Money should not be an object here. Get him.