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Ricketts Refinances Debt Load

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While there has been a lot of finger pointing at Tom Ricketts for the Cubs lackluster offseason, behind the scenes Ricketts has been very busy refinancing the $250 million his family borrowed from three banks to buy the Chicago Cubs. Eddie Baeb explains in Crain’s Chicago Business that he is trying to give the team flexibility despite the heavy debt load: and Next there was this little bombshell: The team, now interviewing candidates for the new position of chief financial officer, still intends to raise additional money, upward of $100 million, by selling "investor notes" to wealthy individuals, the spokesman says. That money would go to pay for capital projects, he says. So the Cubs are trying to sell $100 million in financial notes to pay for the upgrades to the ballpark. This is worth keeping an eye on as we move forward.