I think it had to be expected. Why? They don't have a history of lowering prices after a crappy season, Except when they did something similar last offseason? http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2011/10/15/2491812/2012-cubs-ticket-prices-announced No, the Cubs don't have a longstanding history of lowering prices after a bad season. What we have a is a short term history of the new-ish owners doing it seemingly in anticipation of a bad season, and now doing it again. Huzzah. When they did it last year, they hadn't even hired Theo. I don't even think they had even interviewed anybody yet. So you're basically saying that, before Ricketts hired anyone new in baseball operations, he was intent on tanking a season and lowered ticket prices in anticipation. That seems like a stretch. The season ticket prices are a reflection of last year's results. It's October 16, they haven't even made any moves yet. While I don't think they'll go out and try and rebuild the team through a bunch of long-term free agent deals (which I agree with), I don't think these prices really have anything to do with that strategy.