Where Does Chicago Cubs Fan Base Rank Among Most Frustrated This Past Season?

How high up does the Chicago Cubs fan base rank on the most frustrated in baseball this past season?

Aug 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs fans hold up W flags after their team defeats the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

2024 was expected to be the year the Chicago Cubs made their presence felt in the National League and return to the contender ranks.

They pulled off a major managerial move in the offseason, swiping Craig Counsell from their NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers to replace David Ross, but it didn’t have the impact they were hoping for since the team won 83 games for the second straight campaign.

That led to chairman Tom Ricketts writing in his end of season letter to the fan base, “There is no way to sugarcoat it -- this is not where we planned to finish the season. Bottom line, we did not play a complete season of competitive baseball. As a result, we have again missed the most exciting and exhilarating month of the season -- October."

Compared to other franchises around the league, it seems a bit odd for a winning record to result in such disappointment. But, as David Schoenfield of ESPN pointed out, the fan base is among the most frustrated in the sport because of the lack of recent success.

“The Cubs are the lone big-market team in a division with three legitimate small-market clubs and one midsized franchise -- and yet, they haven't made the playoffs in a full season since 2018,” he wrote while placing Chicago at No. 7 on his list of most frustrated fan bases.

There is certainly a chance those frustrations dissipate in 2025 since the team was aggressive in making moves this offseason.

The biggest splash was acquiring star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect third baseman Cam Smith.

Not only is Tucker an immediate upgrade for the lineup, it is also a deal that clears a spot for top prospect Matt Shaw to play in the Major Leagues.

Before that blockbuster, the team did a good job of adding solid depth pieces to other positions. Free agent addition starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, will slot in alongside Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.

Miguel Amaya has a new partner at catcher with the team signing veteran Carson Kelly.

The two can create a solid platoon after Amaya’s struggles against left-handed pitching and Kelly excelling in a small sample size.

However, there are always concerns about whether or not ownership is going to spend the money necessary to be a World Series contender.

As Schoenfield noted, the Cubs are a major market team among a division of smaller markets, but don’t make the most of their advantage.

“After trimming payroll in 2021 under the auspices of a rebuild, they got back to ninth in 2024 but seem intent on remaining below the luxury tax. Under [Jed] Hoyer, the Cubs have improved their farm system, and the team appears ready to win. But is ownership commitment really there? Ricketts' letter concluded with, 'It is time for us to get to work to bring championship caliber baseball back to Wrigley Field.' They need to do more than trade for Tucker to do that,” the writer added.

Trading Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in what amounted to a salary dump certainly is a tough pill to swallow. But, the team has incredible depth at the Major League level and even more working their way through the pipeline.

That deal will be looked upon in a better light if they are able to lock Tucker into a long-term extension and the young players continue to blossom.

Clearing that kind of money off the salary cap is no small feat and provides Jed Hoyer with some wiggle room to upgrade other areas of weakness.

Cubs fans should not be on this list for much longer, as brighter days are ahead.