Why Cubs core’s desire to sign extensions might not matter anymore

The day after Kris Bryant suggested that first-time fatherhood and the dramatic reality of world events have changed how he looks at his future with the Cubs, general manager Jed Hoyer outlined why it might be all but moot.

Setting aside the fact that the Cubs aren't focusing on contract extensions with anyone at this time of health and economic turmoil, the volatility and unpredictability of a raging COVID-19 pandemic in this country and its economic fallout have thrown even mid-range and long-term roster plans into chaos.

"This is without question the most difficult time we've ever had as far as projecting those things," Hoyer said. "All season in projecting this year, you weren't sure how many games we were going to get in. Projecting next season obviously has challenges, and who knows where the country's going to be and the economy's going to be."

Bryant, a three-time All-Star and former MVP, is eligible for free agency after next season. He and the club have not engaged in extension talks for three years. And those gained little traction while it has looked increasingly likely since then that Bryant's agent, Scott Boras, would eventually take his star client to market - making Bryant a widely circulated name in trade talks all winter.

MORE: Scott Boras: Why Kris Bryant's free agency won't be impacted by economic crisis

The Cubs instead focused last winter on talks with All-Star shortstop Javy Báez, making "good" or little progress depending on which side you talked to on a given day - until the pandemic shut down everything in March.

Báez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber are both also eligible for free agency after next season, with All-Star catcher Willson Contreras right behind them a year later.

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None has a multiyear contract, and exactly what the Cubs are willing to do about that even if MLB pulls off its 60-game plan this year is hard for even the team's front office executives to know without knowing how hard the pandemic will continue to hammer America's health and financial well-being into the winter and next year.

Even with a vaccine and treatments by then, what will job markets look like? The economy at large? The economy of sports? Will anyone want to gather with 40,000 others in a stadium to watch a game anytime soon?

And even if anyone could answer all those questions, who can be sure how the domino effect will impact salary markets for athletes?

"There's no doubt that forecasting going forward is now much more challenging from a financial standpoint," Hoyer said. "But that's league-wide. Anyone that says they have a feel for where the nation's economy and where the pandemic is come next April is lying."

The Cubs front office already was in a tenuous place financially, its payroll budget stretched past its limit and a threat to exceed MLB's luxury tax threshold for a second consecutive season.

And after a quick playoff exit in 2018 followed by the disappointment of missing the playoffs in 2019, every player on the roster was in play for a possible trade over the winter - and even more so at this season's trade deadline without a strong start to the season.

Now what?

For starters, forget about dumping short-term assets or big contracts for anything of value from somebody's farm system. Even if baseball can get to this year's Aug. 31 trade deadline with a league intact and playing, nobody is predicting more than small level trades at that point - certainly not anything close to a blockbuster.

After that, it may not get any clearer for the sport in general, much less the Cubs with their roster and contract dilemmas.

"We have a lot of conversations about it internally, both within the baseball side and then with the business side as well," Hoyer said. "But it's going to take a long time and probably some sort of macro things happening for us to really have a good feel for where we're going to be in '21 and beyond."