Cubs season-ticket holders will have to pay more
Success comes with a price, and in the case of the Cubs, it comes with a price increase.
Following a 97-win season and an advancement to the National League championship series, the Cubs are increasing prices for season-ticket holders by an average of about 10 percent.
Prices for single-game tickets are expected to be announced at a later date, but those figure to have similar increases.
According to Crain's, the cheapest full-season plan next season will cost $1,650, for an upper-deck reserved outfield seat, or just more than $20 per game.
Crain's reported the smallest increase was about 7 percent for upper-deck box outfield seats, while the largest jump was 38 percent for about 900 seats in terrace reserved outfield sections down the left- and right-field lines. Those sections are being renamed "terrace box corner" seats.
The Cubs explained the increases in a letter to season-ticket holders.
"Over the past four years, under Ricketts family ownership, the team has primarily kept prices flat and implemented only a minimal increase in 2015 for our most popular sections in the ballpark," the letter states. "Our annual review of ticket sales continues to show increased demand in tickets in both the primary and secondary markets, including nearly 1.2 million Cubs fans who sought to purchase postseason tickets and more than 73,000 fans enlisted on the Season Ticket Holder Waiting List. We have decided to adjust 2016 pricing accordingly."
During the 2015 regular season, the Cubs drew 2,959,812 fans to Wrigley Field, up from the total of 2,652,113 in 2014
• Center fielder Dexter Fowler has declined the standard qualifying offer of $15.8 million from the Cubs, meaning he'll test the free-agent market.
Fowler is likely to seek a multiyear deal on the open market. By making the qualifying offer, the Cubs guaranteed themselves draft-pick compensation if Fowler leaves.
The Cubs obtained Fowler in a trade with the Houston Astros last January. In his only season with the Cubs, he served as their primary leadoff man and put up a line of .250/.346/.411 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI.