Part 6/11:
Part of the core problem lies in their division and market size. Despite Chicago being the third-largest MLB market, the Sox compete against the Cubs, a team that has established itself as a more prominent and profitable franchise. Brody emphasizes that the division’s other teams—Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, and Minnesota—are small-market teams with limited revenue and spending power.
This disparity underscores the franchise’s inability to capitalize on its market size. The Sox's payroll has lagged behind, ranking deep into the 20s out of 30 teams. Once the division champion, the Guardians, posted just 88 wins in recent seasons—highlighting that strong division performance is achievable, yet the Sox fail to capitalize fully on their own market.