Cubs

Contract Value Index

The Cubs' roster construction earns a B- Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling portfolio that reflects a front office caught between competitive pressure and structural overpayment — they've locked themselves into eight deals that significantly exceed fair market value while securing only six genuine value pieces to anchor payroll efficiency. With 19 of 44 roster spots graded, the team's contracted core reveals a lopsided distribution: the bulk of their investment sits in below-market-rate positions, meaning depth and role players are consuming dollars that could've been deployed more strategically in a window where they're sitting at .519 in the playoff race with over three months to play. The six good-value deals likely form the foundation (probably anchored by younger talent or recently acquired bargains), but they're vastly outweighed by the eight overpays, suggesting the front office either overpaid for past performance, locked in aging players before decline, or structured deals with short-term roster flexibility in mind at the cost of long-term opportunity cost. The absence of luxury-tax context in this grade means Chicago's overpayment problem may be even more acute if they're approaching (or already in) the competitive-balance threshold, since every inefficient dollar spent constrains future free-agent targeting or mid-season trade capital. For a franchise 96 days from a potential playoff push, this B- CVI signals they've mortgaged some future flexibility to field a present-day roster — competitive enough to compete in a soft division, but structurally handicapped by contracts that demand immediate return rather than sustainable build.

Team Performance