As the Cubs Convention kicks off Friday evening for the first time since 2020, fans are getting their first look at a revamped Cubs roster that aims to measurably improve upon a 74-88 showing in 2022, 19 games behind the division champion Cardinals.

While offseason acquisitions have helped establish expectations from fans, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts went a step further while speaking to NBC Chicago’s Leila Rahimi.

“I think this team will be able to compete for our division,” Ricketts told Rahimi, while adding that he expects the team to continue to progress.

“The amount of success we’ve had in the minors the past couple of years is pretty tremendous. For now, we have one of the stronger minor league systems, and there’s a lot of guys down there who I think will contribute,” Ricketts added. 

While the Cubs figure to be better than the Pirates and Reds, both of whom boast low payrolls and are in the midst of a rebuilding phase, the North Siders do have two win-now teams that finished ahead of them in the standings last year.

“I think we’ve we’ve definitely improved our offense. We’ve dramatically improved our defense and we have a lot of pitching depth. Everyday, there’s going to be a lot of pieces and parts for us to work with to put the best team on the field,” Ricketts said.