MESA, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his own future, which is yet another variable as the club pursues Alex Bregman, the All-Star third baseman who could be the difference between a return to the playoffs and sweeping changes throughout the organization.

Hoyer would not discuss Bregman as Cubs pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Super Bowl Sunday. “I obviously can’t comment on any individual players,” Hoyer said during a media session at the team’s Arizona training complex. “I can’t talk about free agency.”

Adding Bregman would confirm the Cubs as the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Central, which is once again projected to be one of the sport’s weakest divisions.

Hoyer also would not say whether the Ricketts family ownership group and Crane Kenney’s business operations department have given his front office enough financial resources and payroll flexibility to add another significant player in February.

“We’ve been really focused this offseason on trying to optimize as much as we can within our budget to make sure that we are a really competitive team,” Hoyer said. “And I think we are.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has signaled that he expects the club’s major-league payroll to wind up near the $241 million luxury-tax threshold, though the final number will depend on how the free-agent market shakes out, what happens at the trade deadline and whether the team seriously contends for a playoff spot.

In terms of accounting for the competitive balance tax, the Cubs have already committed almost $210 million, according to the database maintained by FanGraphs, though, again, it’s unclear how high Hoyer has been authorized to go.

“We’re in a place where we have a chance to be really good,” Hoyer said. “We’re trying to really maximize our resources within our budget to make sure that we can do that.”

Amid the usual optimism at the start of spring training, Hoyer candidly addressed the uneasy feeling in the final year of his contract, a five-year deal he signed when he was promoted from general manager to replace Theo Epstein after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

“Does it feel different than it has in the past?” Hoyer said. “A little bit. I’ve been here for 14 years, and generally in my career I haven’t had much uncertainty. With uncertainty does come a level of anxiety. That would be a lie to say that it doesn’t. Has it caused some introspection along the way? I think that’s fair to say.”

A deeply experienced executive with connections throughout the baseball industry, Hoyer helped Epstein build the 2016 World Series winner in Chicago, as well as two championship teams for the Boston Red Sox (2004 and 2007).

“One of the things about this job is I do take it really personally,” Hoyer said. “You want to put a winner on the field. You want to be extremely proud of the product that’s out there. And obviously there was a building process to get back to this point.

“We’re at a really great point as an organization right now. Both this year and going forward, I think there’s a lot of bright times ahead. But, yeah, it feels like there’s increased pressure. There probably should be.”

For the Cubs to sign Bregman, he would probably have to lower his expectations from a six- or seven-year deal to a shorter-term contract structure with opt-out clauses. That became the blueprint for Cody Bellinger, another Scott Boras client, who re-signed with the Cubs in late February last year. Signing Bregman would also likely involve using up money that is typically set aside for the trade deadline.

There is a perception, though, that the Cubs are being particularly cautious about player contracts that extend beyond the current collective bargaining agreement, which is scheduled to expire in December 2026. Though Ricketts is strongly aligned with Hoyer, it’s not entirely clear who will be running baseball operations for the Cubs at that point.

“We have great autonomy,” Hoyer said. “But whenever it comes to deals of length, especially when that length goes beyond our contractual tenure, obviously, these are not discussions that go on in a vacuum.”

Bregman, who will turn 31 next month, was a two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros. His resume also includes a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove, two All-Star selections and a reputation for being a clubhouse leader.

The current alternatives for the Cubs at third base — the only unsettled spot in their everyday lineup — are either top prospect Matt Shaw (who has zero major-league experience) or a rotation of role players.

Each player who started a game at third base for the Cubs last season — Christopher Morel, Isaac Paredes, Nick Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, David Bote, Miles Mastrobuoni and Luis Vazquez — is no longer in the organization.

That is part of why Bregman and the Cubs are such an obvious match.

Hoyer wasn’t exaggerating when he said, “Every arrow is pointing up in this organization right now.” Outside of the question mark at third base, the Cubs now have Kyle Tucker anchoring the middle of their lineup, Gold Glove defenders all over the field, a robust pitching staff, a stash of top-100 prospects and one of the game’s best managers in Craig Counsell. One more big move could put them over the top.

(Photo of Jed Hoyer with Craig Counsell: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney