Though Jed Hoyer confirmed in a radio interview last week that the Chicago Cubs are projected to end the season over the first luxury tax threshold, there has been no indication that they’re working to get under it by placing high-salaried players on waivers, nor has there been any sign that spending will be impacted next season. Advertisement Still, according to multiple conversations with people briefed on the team’s discussions, there have also been no indications of the Cubs shifting gears from recent offseasons to begin aggressively spending at the top of the market, which would seemingly rule out a pursuit of the crown jewel of the upcoming free-agent class, Juan Soto . In February, The Athletic reported that with the signing of Cody Bellinger , the Cubs understood that they were essentially over the luxury tax once the typical roster churn of the season was factored in.
In separate radio interviews, both Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins confirmed as much, with Hawkins citing some examples of roster churn such as including long-term injuries that force call-ups of players. The acquisition of Isaac Parades reinforced the idea that the front office was not concerned with the luxury tax threshold when making moves at the deadline. Because Paredes makes about $2.
6 million more than Christopher Morel , the move added salary. Precisely calculating a team’s salary for luxury tax purposes can be complicated, especially because even mundane roster moves can have an.