The Chicago Cubs traded away three players to acquire outfielder Kyle Tucker last offseason. On the surface, the move worked. Tucker turned in another All-Star season and helped lead the Cubs to the playoffs.
But after the team’s elimination Saturday, Tucker’s future with the organization is cloudy. Tucker and the Cubs failed to reach a long-term contract agreement during the year, meaning the 28-year-old will enter free agency in the offseason.
When asked about his situation following the team’s 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, Tucker left things non-committal, per ESPN.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Tucker, who agreed to a $16.5 million deal to avoid arbitration this season. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold. If not, it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing next year or not with them. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”
When first acquired by the Cubs, there were rumblings Tucker could receive a $500 million contract if he hit the market. While Tucker turned in a fine season in 2025, his 118 wRC+ was actually his lowest since his rookie year.
That was mostly due to an awful second half, in which Tucker hit just .231/.360/.378 down the stretch. Those struggles coincided with Tucker battled a hand injury, which seemed to have a major effect on his numbers.
When healthy, however, Tucker proved to be a massive difference-maker. In the first half, the Cubs posted one of the best offenses in baseball. It helped that players like Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong were also performing well, but Tucker’s excellence and plate-discipline skills clearly had a positive effect on the rest of the lineup. That changed in the second half, likely due to Tucker’s injury.
The Cubs should know better than most teams how much Tucker’s injury limited his production down the stretch. If the team believes Tucker is bound to return to form, it knows the impact he can have on the entire lineup. Every other MLB team knows that as well, of course, which should create a competitive market for the outfielder.
While Tucker has familiarity with the Cubs, that might not be a major factor in his decision this offseason. Now on the market, Tucker can consider offers from every team. That’s certain to create a bidding war, forcing the Cubs to really pay up if they want to retain the star outfielder.
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