Theo Epstein Indicates Marquee Network Won’t Have Immediate Impact on Payroll

Photo: Mark Gonzales video screencapWell, it looks like the Cubs may have another winter of pinching pennies in free agency. Despite claims by Crane Kenney, the club’s president of business operations, that “much larger revenue” would be “available immediately,” industry experts believe it may take until well into spring training or even the regular season for carriage deals to be worked out. That means no real guarantees for the upcoming season, something Theo Epstein addressed recently in Pittsburgh.

“The new TV deal, at least for the first few years, basically means the exact same thing for us as the old deal,” Epstein told Patrick Mooney ($) and other media members. “The first few years…