MESA, Ariz. — Every spring, on the first day of full-squad workouts, Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts addresses the team. This year was no different, with the message largely being the same: Treat the fans like gold, and remember how lucky they are to be in professional sports — and especially to represent the Cubs.
After his time with the team, Ricketts met with members of the media Monday morning and talked about various topics as the 2026 season approaches. Here are three takeaways from that session.
Higher expectations after last year
The Cubs made the playoffs for the first time in a full 162-game season since 2018 and won their first postseason game (and series) since 2017. A loss in five games to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series has fans and the team hoping for more in 2026.
“Everyone had high expectations last year, and I think they’re higher this year,” Ricketts said. “I mean, obviously, we have effectively the same team as last year, plus a couple key components that should contribute. So, I would expect everyone to have higher expectations this year.”
A little bit of everything. pic.twitter.com/YfAvi5Ttrw
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 13, 2026
Kyle Tucker is gone, but with Alex Bregman at third, Edward Cabrera near the front of the rotation and a rebuilt bullpen, there is reason for optimism.
“Obviously, we want to win the division,” Ricketts said. “We should win the division. It’s just a matter of executing, staying healthy, and I think we should be right there. You want to win the division for a lot of reasons, not just because it’s aggravating not to. But you want to put yourself in the best position for the playoffs as well. And so, hopefully we’ll execute against that plan and be there at the end of the season.”
The division is just the first goal. The energy at Wrigley Field last fall was palpable. That has created a deeper desire for more from all involved with the Cubs. A playoff appearance isn’t enough to satisfy this group.
“You guys were all there,” Ricketts said. “Wrigley was incredible in those playoff games last year. And it did remind you of some of those games back in ’15 and ’16 — and somewhat ’17 — where we had that kind of energy. And obviously, we want to have those games every year. We obviously want to win the World Series every year.
“But for me, too, it’s paying off all the loyal fans who have come to so many games for so many years and given so much to the team. To be able to pay them back with an incredible experience — like what we saw in the playoffs last year — that just means a lot to me personally, and I want to do that every year.”
How much more payroll can be added in 2026?
If the Cubs are meeting expectations, that means they’ll be buyers at the deadline. According to Roster Resource, the Cubs are less than $1,000 under the first luxury tax threshold. Since those estimates are usually a bit under what teams end up spending by season’s end, unless they sell at the deadline, the Cubs will almost certainly go over that first threshold no matter what.
“The tax thresholds are something that we keep an eye on just because if you go over by a little bit, you can cost yourself a draft pick or something like that,” Ricketts said. “But effectively, the way we put our finances together is more related to what we can afford as a club and what falls out of all the different revenue opportunities that we try to take advantage of. So it isn’t really the big factor this year.”
So, there will be financial flexibility to add to the payroll at the deadline?
“I say this every year — for the last 16 seasons,” Ricketts said. “There’s always flexibility at the deadline.”
The labor situation, with the CBA set to expire
Ricketts didn’t seem keen on getting into a deep discussion about the collective bargaining agreement and his philosophies on how to avoid a lockout. He did have thoughts on how fans should look at this season, the final one before what could be a contentious offseason of negotiations between the league and the MLB Players Association.
“My first piece of advice, and one that I’m going to take, is enjoy the season,” Ricketts said. “Enjoy the games as we have them. I mean, obviously, it’s the last year of the collective bargaining agreement. Both the league and the players association want to make some improvements from their perspective. I leave that to the league. And we’ll see where it goes.”
Most agree a lockout is almost certain to start in December. The debate is how long it will go and whether it will cost MLB any regular-season games in 2027. Right now, the belief is that the owners want a salary cap, something that would be a no-go for the players association.
Would Ricketts be in favor of a salary cap?
“That’s all at the league level, and obviously we’re all watching the same movie with what’s happening in the league,” Ricketts said. “There are probably ways to improve it, and I think most people see ways to improve it. But once again, that’s between the league and the players association.”
The league, of course, represents the owners and will largely be making arguments on their behalf. But Ricketts isn’t interested in getting into a war of words on this or any other topic regarding the CBA.
In theory, a cap would hurt a team like the Cubs, who are in one of the biggest markets and spend more than any other team in their division. The Cubs get criticized for not spending among the top five teams in baseball, but they still leverage their financial advantage somewhat against division rivals. Maybe not to its fullest extent, though.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a luxury tax payroll estimated at over $400 million. The New York Mets are at $365 million. But Ricketts wasn’t interested in commenting on the large disparities in spending between the biggest spenders and those on the other end of the spectrum, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins.
Ricketts did not want to criticize the big spenders. With the Bregman signing, the Cubs are 10th in luxury tax payroll, according to Roster Resource.
“The way I look at that is we just have to worry about ourselves,” Ricketts said. “We do what we can to put as much as we can on the field. I can’t do anything about what’s happening in other places. And frankly, I’m not gonna worry about it.”
In the end, all the talk about payroll, the CBA and everything else was secondary for Ricketts. This spring training feels different. That’s because, after a taste of the playoffs, the Cubs have higher goals than just reaching the postseason. And those goals feel attainable. For all the cosmetic accomplishments Ricketts has made during his time owning the team — upgrading Wrigley Field and the surrounding area; building a new spring training complex in Mesa, Ariz., that continues to be updated; the Dominican facility; constantly finding new ways to leverage tech for player development — what they did in 2016 remains the standard. And it’s what he wants to see more of.
“We just have to win more World Series,” Ricketts said. “I mean, it’s about winning. All this other stuff, it all leads to one thing, and that’s about winning. We just have put the kind of teams on the field that can be in the playoffs every year and get back on top.”