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The Chicago Cubs opened the 1985 season paying $12,702,917 to 22 players and closed 2016 at $154,067,668 across 29 players, a 12.1× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Jon Lester’s $25,000,000 in 2016.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 22 | $12,702,917 | $577,405 | $502,500 | Ron Cey ($1.4M) |
| 1986 | 31 | $17,208,165 | $555,102 | $558,333 | Rick Sutcliffe ($1.5M) |
| 1987 | 26 | $14,307,999 | $550,308 | $625,000 | Rick Sutcliffe ($1.8M) |
| 1988 | 25 | $13,119,198 | $524,768 | $207,500 | Rick Sutcliffe ($2.1M) |
| 1989 | 24 | $10,668,000 | $444,500 | $176,000 | Rick Sutcliffe ($2.3M) |
| 1990 | 31 | $13,624,000 | $439,484 | $195,000 | Andre Dawson ($2.1M) |
| 1991 | 25 | $23,175,667 | $927,027 | $230,000 | Andre Dawson ($3.3M) |
| 1992 | 28 | $29,829,686 | $1,065,346 | $380,000 | Greg Maddux ($4.2M) |
| 1993 | 32 | $39,386,666 | $1,230,833 | $293,750 | Ryne Sandberg ($6M) |
| 1994 | 31 | $36,287,333 | $1,170,559 | $260,000 | Ryne Sandberg ($6M) |
| 1995 | 32 | $29,505,834 | $922,057 | $201,250 | Mark Grace ($4.4M) |
| 1996 | 33 | $33,081,000 | $1,002,455 | $275,000 | Sammy Sosa ($4.8M) |
| 1997 | 32 | $42,155,333 | $1,317,354 | $350,000 | Sammy Sosa ($5.5M) |
| 1998 | 31 | $50,838,000 | $1,639,935 | $550,000 | Sammy Sosa ($8.3M) |
| 1999 | 37 | $62,343,000 | $1,684,946 | $715,000 | Sammy Sosa ($9M) |
| 2000 | 30 | $60,539,333 | $2,017,978 | $888,000 | Sammy Sosa ($11M) |
| 2001 | 27 | $64,715,833 | $2,396,883 | $2,000,000 | Sammy Sosa ($12.5M) |
| 2002 | 28 | $75,690,833 | $2,703,244 | $1,462,500 | Sammy Sosa ($15M) |
| 2003 | 28 | $79,868,333 | $2,852,440 | $1,125,000 | Sammy Sosa ($16M) |
| 2004 | 29 | $90,560,000 | $3,122,759 | $1,550,000 | Sammy Sosa ($16M) |
| 2005 | 28 | $87,032,933 | $3,108,319 | $2,150,000 | Kerry Wood ($9.5M) |
| 2006 | 28 | $94,424,499 | $3,372,304 | $2,500,000 | Kerry Wood ($12M) |
| 2007 | 27 | $99,670,332 | $3,691,494 | $2,750,000 | Derrek Lee ($13.3M) |
| 2008 | 27 | $118,345,833 | $4,383,179 | $3,175,000 | Carlos Zambrano ($16M) |
| 2009 | 25 | $134,809,000 | $5,392,360 | $2,200,000 | Carlos Zambrano ($18.8M) |
| 2010 | 27 | $146,609,000 | $5,429,963 | $2,125,000 | Alfonso Soriano ($19M) |
| 2011 | 25 | $125,047,329 | $5,001,893 | $1,600,000 | Alfonso Soriano ($19M) |
| 2012 | 26 | $88,197,033 | $3,392,194 | $1,262,500 | Alfonso Soriano ($19M) |
| 2013 | 26 | $100,567,726 | $3,867,989 | $2,000,000 | Alfonso Soriano ($19M) |
| 2014 | 27 | $65,522,500 | $2,426,759 | $1,500,000 | Edwin Jackson ($11M) |
| 2015 | 28 | $115,879,310 | $4,138,547 | $2,515,000 | Jon Lester ($20M) |
| 2016 | 29 | $154,067,668 | $5,312,678 | $2,500,000 | Jon Lester ($25M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Lester | $25,000,000 | 2016 (CHN) |
| 2 | Jon Lester | $20,000,000 | 2015 (CHN) |
| 3 | Jason Heyward | $19,555,288 | 2016 (CHN) |
| 4 | Alfonso Soriano | $19,000,000 | 2010 (CHN) |
| 5 | Alfonso Soriano | $19,000,000 | 2011 (CHN) |
| 6 | Alfonso Soriano | $19,000,000 | 2012 (CHN) |
| 7 | Alfonso Soriano | $19,000,000 | 2013 (CHN) |
| 8 | Carlos Zambrano | $18,875,000 | 2010 (CHN) |
| 9 | Carlos Zambrano | $18,875,000 | 2011 (CHN) |
| 10 | Carlos Zambrano | $18,750,000 | 2009 (CHN) |
| 11 | Alfonso Soriano | $17,000,000 | 2009 (CHN) |
| 12 | Aramis Ramirez | $16,750,000 | 2010 (CHN) |
| 13 | Aramis Ramirez | $16,650,000 | 2009 (CHN) |
| 14 | Sammy Sosa | $16,000,000 | 2003 (CHN) |
| 15 | Sammy Sosa | $16,000,000 | 2004 (CHN) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: Chicago Cubs. Amounts are nominal US dollars exactly as recorded, with no inflation adjustment, because a deflator is an editorial choice and this archive refuses to invent one. The Lahman Salaries table was last updated for 2016, so nothing here reaches the current season.
The franchise’s heaviest recorded payroll was the 2016 season at $154,067,668 across 29 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.