like it or not, their job was to rebuild an entire organization, and this is what they inherited: http://itsaboutthemoney.net/archives/2013/08/12/the-all-homegrown-mlb/ "these Cubs would be in the running for the first pick of the draft. This makes Theo Epstein’s slash-and-burn rebuild seem all the more necessary." under the budget restraints that were imposed, contending early was never a realistic option, and if you choose to remain willfully ignorant of that i guess that's your prerogative