Cubs eye a World Series push, but Kyle Tucker's hefty contract price signals his likely exit.
The Chicago Cubs have an interesting offseason ahead. This is a team that is only a few pieces away from reaching the World Series. The Cubs just made the postseason for the first time since 2020 and won their first playoff series since 2017.
With most of the core players returning, now is the time for the Cubs to really go all in on a potential World Series title. However, one player who appears destined to leave this winter is Kyle Tucker.
In Jim Bowden’s latest piece highlighting the biggest needs and goals for all 30 MLB teams, Bowden of The Athletic basically said that Tucker will not be back with the Cubs.
He wrote, “The Cubs are not expected to be heavy players for right fielder Kyle Tucker and seem comfortable going forward with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Owen Caissie in their outfield.”
Given the contract that both Spotrac (10 years for $401 million) and Bowden (10 years for $427 million) predict Tucker to sign this offseason, it’s not a complete surprise to see that the Cubs aren’t expected to be in play for the All-Star.
The Cubs were never going to be in the running for a player who is seeking that much money in free agency. Don’t forget, this is a front office that has yet to give out a $200 million contract in its team’s history. That wasn’t going to change with Tucker.
Nevertheless, the Cubs’ outfield is still in a great spot heading into the 2026 season. Happ will be the primary left fielder, Crow-Armstrong will continue to start in center field, and Suzuki and Caissie can rotate in right field.
Those four players still make up a pretty good outfield. Happ will play Gold Glove defense in left field while hitting around .240 with 20-plus home runs and 75-plus RBI. Crow Armstrong is coming off a 30-home run and 30-stolen base season, and Suzuki is coming off a career year in which he hit 32 home runs and drove in 103 RBI.
Then, there’s Caissie. Although we didn’t get to see much of him during the 2025 season, this is a player with a ton of potential in Chicago’s lineup. He hit .286 with 22 home runs, 28 doubles, 55 RBI across 99 games at Triple-A Iowa in 2025.
Although losing Tucker to free agency would hurt, the Cubs are still well-positioned in the outfield heading into the 2026 season. Happ, Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, and Caissie are still a pretty strong outfield group.
His departure would also give the Cubs some flexibility to go after another big-time bat, someone who might cost a little cheaper than Tucker. Both Kyle Schwarber and Alex Bregman could be potential fits for the North Siders this offseason.
So, losing Tucker isn’t the end-all be-all.