Cubs' franchise value rose by double-digits as Tom Ricketts looks to 'break even'

We don't get to see the balance sheets of the Chicago Cubs. They're a privately owned company and there is nothing to be gained by sharing the numbers with the general public - especially when you're an owner who can't stop putting his foot in his mouth with public comments about payroll and spending like Tom Ricketts.

But what we do get is a few franchise value lists from outlets like Forbes and, in this instance, Sportico, which released its top100mostvaluablesportsteams'">'Top 100 Most Valuable Sports Teams' for 2025 this week. We'll focus on MLB specifically - because the most valuable team in sports, the Dallas Cowboys, far outpaces of the 30 big-league teams at a record $10.32 billion.

In baseball, the New York Yankees lead the pack ($7.93 billion) - and then there's a sizable gap between the Steinbrenner family's club and the rest of the top five, which looks like this:

1. New York Yankees - $7.93B
2. Los Angeles Dodgers - $6.3B
3. Boston Red Sox - $5.69B
4. Chicago Cubs - $5.31B
5. San Francisco Giants - $4.2B

It's no surprise to see the Dodgers post that level of growth given their success on the field in recent years, capped by winning the 2024 World Series. Fifteen of the 30 MLB teams crack the top-100, but let's dig in a little more on the Cubs.

Safe to say, the Ricketts family has enjoyed a nice return on investment after purchasing the storied franchise in 2009 for 'just' $845 million. Continuing to run a middle-of-the-pack payroll while repeatedly referring to the first CBT threshold as a logical place to be will continue to irk fans as the franchise's value climbs ever higher.

Despite heading into what feels like a 'playoffs-or-bust' 2025 season, there's no sign ownership will take its spending to the next level anytime soon. Reports indicate that few around the game believe the Cubs will be serious suitors in re-signing Kyle Tucker next winter and, even if the front office is turned over at year's end, it's not like a new president of baseball operations is going to work with a suddenly increased budget.

With next to no long-term obligations on the books past 2026 (the lone exceptions being Shota Imanaga and Dansby Swanson), this winter felt like a key time to strike and open up the checkbook. We can wait with bated breath for next offseason, hoping the Cubs take advantage of a strong free agent class, but odds are if we do that, someone is going to be waking us up after we pass out from forgetting to breathe.