Spend big (Phillies) or replenish the system (Astros)? The Cubs can find a roster-building balance in the World Series teams.
Financially investing in a roster can serve as a postseason separator for major-league teams.
The teams with the five highest payrolls for 2022 made the postseason, and three of them reached their league championship series. The other playoff teams’ payrolls, per Spotrac, ranked eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th, 21st, 25th and 28th.
Typically the quality of players those figures are committed to can be game-changers in the condensed postseason format. And often those investments come through free agency.
“When we have a moment that we feel like this is the right fit at the right time, we’re going to present a lot of documentation (to ownership) about why we think that’s the case,” Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer said after the season. “You want to make sure that you add
