LAS VEGAS — The Cubs plan on monitoring the market for star free-agent Kyle Tucker, but the early signals this offseason point to the outfielder probably holding up a new jersey at his next press conference. Tucker is in line for a massive payday and Chicago’s top priorities are currently found in the rotation and bullpen.
The Cubs made a blockbuster trade last winter to bring Tucker into the fold, knowing he was the kind of impact player who could immediately bolster the lineup and Chicago’s projected win total. The North Siders knew it might be a one-year partnership and, if that proves to be the case, it paid off with a trip to the postseason.
“We told him, ‘We’d love to figure out ways to put you in a Cubs uniform again,’” Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said this week at the GM Meetings at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. “But we’ll see how it plays out.”
The Cubs have done the appropriate paperwork step of offering Tucker a one-year qualifying offer ($22.025 million), securing Draft-pick compensation in the event that the outfielder declines the offer and signs with a new team. Tucker and the rest of the players who received a QO for ‘26 (Shota Imanaga included) have until Tuesday to accept or decline.
Chicago’s front office plans on casting a wide net for rotation help — free agency, trades and the international market are all possibilities — and needs to fill multiple vacancies throughout the bullpen. Even with Tucker potentially leaving the equation, the Cubs are likely to hover more in opportunistic mode when it comes to adding to the offense.
“Will we look to move things around? Will we look to add? Of course,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “But the level of urgency is not nearly as high as on the pitching side.”
The Cubs have in-house solutions all over the field.
Veteran Ian Happ is in left field, Pete Crow-Armstrong has center locked down and Seiya Suzuki can easily move back to right field, where Tucker played when healthy. Chicago also has young outfielders Owen Caissie (No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline) and Kevin Alcántara (No. 5) in the fold, plus young catcher Moisés Ballesteros (No. 2), who can get at-bats as a designated hitter.
The Cubs’ catching situation has starter-caliber options in Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, while the infield is set with Michael Busch at first base, Nico Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Matt Shaw at third. Barring trades, there is little flexibility — beyond potentially improving the depth available on the bench.
“If you look at our current lineup or current depth chart,” Hawkins said, “where are we most likely to be able to improve? Where are we most likely to be able to clear a replacement level? It’s going to be on the pitching side. That’s where the most opportunity is.
“It’s not that we wouldn’t acquire an awesome position player or be active on the position-player market in different ways. But, it’s just most likely that it’s going to be in the pitching space where we find things that make us better for the cost that we’re looking to be paying.”
When the Cubs pushed to trade for Tucker last offseason — shipping Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski to Houston to get the deal done — there were more unknowns in Chicago’s lineup.
The Cubs had zero players with at least a 4.0 bWAR in 2024 and only four (Swanson, Happ, Hoerner and Suzuki) over 3.0 that season. Busch and Crow-Armstrong were still developing, Shaw wasn’t in the picture yet and the catching situation was a mess. In ‘25, Chicago had eight players top 3.0 WAR and six crossed 4.0, including elite showings from Hoerner (6.2) and Crow-Armstrong (6.0).
The perceived need for adding a Tucker-level bat — one requiring a significant return package — is lower at the moment in the front office’s view.
“We felt like we needed a boost,” Hawkins said of the Tucker trade. “It was obviously aggressive. It was obviously a lot of really good talent that went the other way in that deal. But it helped accomplish, along with a lot of other really good things, a really solid season for the Cubs. From that perspective, it was a success.”
Tucker was an All-Star and Silver Slugger recipient, ending with 22 homers, 25 doubles, 25 steals, 73 RBIs, 91 runs, nearly as many walks (87) as strikeouts (88) and an .841 OPS in 136 games. He missed time with injuries, but still posted 4.6 bWAR, marking his fifth straight season above 4.5.
“When we were at our best, he was at his best,” Hoyer said. “When you have a great player that’s getting on base at that clip and driving in runs, it makes a huge difference. That’s something that we’ve noted. … He’s a great player. We had a really good experience with him. And obviously we’ll be talking to [his agent].”
