CHICAGO -- Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations, said on Friday that he and chairman Tom Ricketts are "on the same page" but that the two have yet to hammer out a contract extension. It's apparently not a top priority for Epstein, who said the only time he thinks about the topic is when it's brought up by the media.
"I see myself as staying in the exact same role for a long time, and I think Tom sees it the same way," Epstein said. "At some point we'll get around to doing a contract extension, but I actually think players deserve contracts first, before front-office guys. We're not done with our players yet."
The Cubs did reach agreements with six of their seven arbitration-eligible players, with National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta the only one unsigned. Epstein said Arrieta "deserves a contract before I do."
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"It's not the smallest concern to me whatsoever," Epstein said of his own deal, which ends in October. "I'm more worried about the team. Honestly, I want to take care of the players first, and then we'll go from there."
The Cubs have spent $272 million this offseason on Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey, and Epstein expects that the team is finished making significant moves.
"We know there will be adjustments needed at some point [to the roster], probably during the course of the season," he said. "I think we're fairly well positioned to see where the needs arise and have the ability to adjust midstream."