Chicago Cubs: Here’s where payroll stands heading into the offseason

Chicago Cubs: Only three players have guaranteed contracts for 2022

Per Spotrac, the Cubs have only $41,010,000 in committed salary for next year. This is total salary between the combined base salaries and signing bonuses.

The three players on this list are Jason Heyward, Kyle Hendricks and David Bote. Heyward signed the massive $184 million deal prior to the 2016 season, while Hendricks and Bote received extensions a few years back.

To no surprise, Heyward takes up far and away most of the committed money. He is on the books for $22 million base salary, plus $2.5 million in signing bonus money. The veteran outfielder will be entering his second-to-last year under contract with the Cubs and has a full no-trade clause. While it is frustrating to see that kind of money tied up to a player who has not performed offensively, trading him away would be extremely difficult. Regardless of what uniform Heyward wears in 2022, Chicago will be paying him big bucks.

Hendricks continues under the $55.5 million extension he received back in 2019, making $14 million in 2022. Despite struggling this season, it is hard to imagine him not being a Cub in 2022. Bote will make $2.51 million as part of the five-year, $15 million extension he got in 2019. This includes a $10,000 signing bonus. This is not a lot of money tied up for a player who will probably be a bench/platoon guy going forward.