The Cubs had one of baseball’s most potent outfields in 2025, with the group’s .778 OPS ranking second in MLB behind only the Yankees. But what had been a reliable set of run producers became a source of less certainty when right fielder Kyle Tucker hit the free-agent market.
Though the Cubs are said to be focused on their pitching needs as the Winter Meetings get underway on Monday, the loss of Tucker certainly isn’t a non-factor. But the team has options to fill the void.
Here are five ways the Cubs could go:
The simplest solution to the outfield situation is to bring Tucker back. But it won’t be easy or cheap, as he’s perhaps the most coveted player in this year’s free-agent class. Consider this: Though injuries limited Tucker’s availability and production (by his standards) each of the past two seasons, he still had a combined 156 OPS+. His 22 homers last season were his fewest in a full season, but he still had an .841 OPS and a 143 OPS+. He also swiped 25 bases for his third 20-20 season. Those are “down-year” numbers that any player would take. Of all the options on this list, this one is probably the most attractive to Cubs fans.
A reunion with Bellinger would make a lot of sense. He signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Cubs before the 2023 season and made a good first impression, hitting .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and an .881 OPS in 130 games. That led to a three-year, $80 million extension ahead of 2024. That season, however, wasn’t nearly as strong as 2023. He played the same number of games, but saw his numbers drop across the board. He hit .266 with 18 homers, 78 RBIs and a .751 OPS. But after a trade to the Yankees ahead of the 2025 season, Bellinger rebounded with 29 homers, 98 RBIs and an .814 OPS. He was also worth seven Outs Above Average on defense, his highest mark since 2020. Perhaps most notably, he played in 152 games — his most since 2019. He’s now a free agent after exercising an opt-out on the final year of his contract.
This move would be risky, but it could work out fine. Suzuki clubbed 32 homers and had 103 RBIs last season as a primary DH, but his second half was a struggle. He had just six homers after July 18 and hit just .207 from that point on. Plus, as a defender, Suzuki is limited. He’s been worth minus-5 Outs Above Average in his career. But if his bat returns to its first-half production, it could make up for his defensive shortcomings. But all things considered, this would be a move with the potential to go south in a hurry. Ballesteros, meanwhile, showed promise as a DH during his 20-game audition in 2025 (18 as DH). Chicago’s No. 2 prospect, he hit .298 overall with an .868 OPS in 66 plate appearances. Is he ready for a full-time role? Maybe, but it’s far from certain.
Let the kids play? It’s definitely an option. Caissie, the Cubs’ top prospect, and Alcántara, their No. 5 prospect, have both had brief stints in the Majors after strong showings with Triple-A Iowa. But as with Ballesteros, the question is whether they’re ready for bigger roles with the big league team. Caissie, 23, hit .192 with a homer and a .568 OPS in 27 plate appearances after an August callup. Alcántara, 23, debuted briefly in 2024 (one hit in 10 plate appearances) before a second callup in 2025 in which he hit .364 with a .781 OPS in 12 plate appearances. But he’s out of Minor League options, so the Cubs could be motivated to give him a bench spot. Neither Caissie nor Alcántara has a big enough MLB sample size to tell us anything, so giving either of them a prominent role would carry at least some risk.
5. Bring back the other Kyle at DH and figure out the rest
Like every other team in the Majors, the Cubs would love to add free agent Kyle Schwarber to their lineup. But as with Tucker, this is a Kyle who would be tough and expensive to acquire. Not to mention that he’s essentially a full-time DH at this point. Still, 56 homers and 132 RBIs make for an attractive investment and tend to make other lesser questions go away. Schwarber, of course, had big years with the Cubs from 2015-20. He had two seasons with 30 or more homers and helped them win the 2016 World Series, during which he hit .412 with a .971 OPS despite having not played in big league games since early April after tearing his left ACL. So, yeah, a Schwarbs reunion in Chicago would be a feel-good story all the way around. As for the ripple effects of such a move — Who plays right field? Who’s the odd man out? — well, they could just figure it out on the fly.
