The Cubs’ biggest edge in the NL Central has always been the one thing their rivals couldn’t easily match: money. Chicago can spend in ways the rest of the division simply can’t, and the payroll numbers back it up.
Spotrac has the Cubs at just under $250 million for 2026, good for seventh in MLB. The rest of the division sits well behind them, with Milwaukee at $146 million, Cincinnati at $128 million, Pittsburgh at $106 million and St.
Louis at $96 million.
That gap, though, may not stay so wide for long. The Brewers are expected to have more financial flexibility and more resources to build their roster after their World Series run, according to @ByMcCullough and @WillSammon. If that plays out, the Cubs’ one clear advantage in the division could start to shrink quickly.
For Chicago, that matters because the Brewers have already shown they know how to turn smart front-office moves into on-field results. Three years after the Cubs brought in Craig Counsell from Milwaukee, hoping they had pried away the architect of that success, the Brewers kept rolling.
Pat Murphy took over in the dugout, David Stearns left for New York, and Matt Arnold took charge of the front office. Since then, Arnold has locked up Jackson Chourio, Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt to long-term extensions.
Milwaukee has also built one of the better farm systems in baseball, giving the major league club a steady flow of young talent. That pipeline helped power the Brewers to a fourth straight division title in 2026, and they finished 14 games ahead of the Cubs.
That’s the backdrop for Jed Hoyer heading into the offseason. Chicago’s front office has already been behind Milwaukee’s in the eyes of many, and the Cubs’ farm system is viewed as a bottom-third group without much true blue-chip talent. The big-league pitching staff is also in rough shape entering the winter.
Hoyer did land some important wins last offseason and into the spring, signing Alex Bregman in free agency and extending both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner. But there were also misses, and now the Brewers may have more money to work with too. That doesn’t just make Milwaukee stronger - it chips away at the one thing Chicago had over them.
The Cubs already needed close to a flawless offseason to have a real shot at catching the Brewers in 2027. With Milwaukee’s financial outlook improving, the pressure on Hoyer only gets heavier as Chicago tries to produce its first division champion since the shortened 2020 season.
In Other News...
Cubs Pitching Hope Suddenly Comes With One Worry
The Arizona Fall League has been a useful stage for a few Cubs prospects, and Dominick Reid has been one of the more encouraging arms in the group. The right-hander has put together a solid run there, working to a 3.46 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 13 innings, the kind of showing that keeps him on the radar as Chicago continues to lean on pitching development throughout the system.
Now there is at least one concern attached to that momentum. Reid left a recent game early because of an unspecified injury, and for a Cubs organization that has been watching his progress closely, any health question is hard to ignore. He is part of a broader wave of farm-system pitchers the club is tracking, alongside names like Josiah Hartshorn and Cade Townsend, so the next update on Reid matters well beyond one fall outing. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Prospect Offers A Warning As Kevin Alcantara Decision Looms
Nelson Velzquezs latest move is another reminder of how quickly a once-promising Cubs prospect can get pushed to the margins. The Houston Astros released the outfielder so he could chase an opportunity in Asia after a season split between St. Louis and Houston, where he hit .188/.257/.406 with six homers. For Chicago, its a familiar name and a familiar cautionary tale, because Velzquez once looked like part of the future before the path changed in a hurry.
That matters now because Kevin Alcantara is approaching his own crossroads, and his situation comes with real roster pressure. Alcantara no longer has minor-league options, which complicates the Cubs flexibility and keeps a trade in the conversation as teams weigh whether he can fit on a big-league roster right away. Velzquezs trajectory shows how fast a young power bat can go from prospect buzz to uncertain fit, and it leaves the Cubs with one more decision they cant afford to get wrong. [Read more 🡒]
Seiya Suzuki Free Agency Talk Just Got Very Real For Cubs Fans
The market around Seiya Suzuki is starting to feel a lot more real for Cubs fans, with the Red Sox now reportedly showing interest in the outfielder as he heads toward free agency. Suzuki has established himself as one of the top offensive names available, and his profile is drawing attention from a club that could use his bat in a variety of ways depending on how the rest of its roster comes together.
For the Cubs, the bigger issue is less about Boston specifically and more about what Suzukis market says about the kind of contract he could command. The Red Sox view him as a potential fit in their lineup, possibly even in a designated hitter role if their roster shifts, but nothing official has happened yet. Still, when a player of Suzukis caliber starts getting tied to a big-market team with room to spend, the offseason conversation around his future gets a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]