The Chicago Cubs are in full-on prep mode right now, working to fortify the roster and maintain the health of key players ahead of their first playoff run since 2020.
For everyone in the organization, the future, right now, is the rest of the regular season and then the postseason.
But there has to be a little bit of a side-eye given to what happens after 2025.
In the Cubs’ case, the biggest pending concern is Kyle Tucker, who is eligible for free agency at the end of this season and may command a contract in the neighborhood of $400-$500 million. Even optimists give the frugal Cubs ownership no better than a 50-50 chance of matching that kind of expenditure.
Tucker’s uneven season
In the first half of 2025, everyone saw just how much of an asset the multi-tool right fielder could be to a Cubs team that has desperately needed a stable, elite-level star on the field. Tucker served as the linchpin in a Cubs lineup that rocked and rattled opposition pitching en route to, at one time, the best record in baseball.
Then, the four-time All-Star struggled through a career-worst extended slump that lasted nearly two months, while dealing with a hairline fracture in his hand and the mechanics issues related to that. At the heights of his slump, many were questioning whether the offseason acquisition was even worth bringing back. The Cubs not only lost their MLB-best record, but also their first place spot atop the NL Central Division.
However, a rest and a reset later, Tucker has appeared to bounce back. In his last 11 games, he’s batting .400 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.
And now the subject of his free agent worth has popped up again.
Hitting the open market
In a recent article, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan talked up Tucker’s projected worth after an up-and-down season. Not surprisingly, his worth is still high, matching his status as the most prominent position player on the free agent market this coming offseason. Passan also mentions a potential new suitor in the mix.
Per Passan:
“Tucker’s best comparable might be Mookie Betts, not because of the similarities of their games but rather the level at which they produce while maintaining minuscule strikeout rates. Few players are as good at any of the three facets of the game as Tucker, let alone all three. Betts is the most obvious, and he signed a 12-year, $365 million deal that started in his age-28 season.
So, yeah, the number is going to be big — likely in the $400 million range. The Philadelphia Phillies could desperately use a big corner outfield bat, particularly if the next player on this list takes his talents elsewhere. The San Francisco Giants need a complement to Rafael Devers in the middle of the lineup. Others, including the Cubs, will be in the mix. The market will find Tucker, as it eventually does with the best players in every class.”
The Chicago Cubs’ competition for Tucker
Apr 15, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) hits a single during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
So, throw the Giants into a mix that already includes the Phillies, the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Red Sox, along with the Cubs.
Seeing Chicago worked into a bidding war against teams with well-established histories of opening their pocketbooks for big ticket free agents doesn’t inspire confidence in Cubs fans.
Passan, himself, brought up the issue in a recent interview with Marquee Sports Network.
“But I do think the Cubs are going to have a limit they’re not going to want to go past, Passan said. “The reason I have pause on saying ‘unequivocally, yes, they are the favorite,’ is because I’ve seen this time and again.
“We saw it with Alex Bregman. The Cubs should have gotten Alex Bregman in the winter. I’ve seen the Cubs have a willingness to stop, and to say ‘we are not going to go a penny over that, and you can keep pushing and keep trying and keep cajoling and you can keep telling us we’re not going to get the player, but we’re not moving.’ And one could call that either discipline or foolishness. Maybe it’s a little of both.”
As of right now, when it comes to the Cubs and Kyle Tucker, the best anyone can hope for is a change of spending strategy at the ownership level, which would also apply to the pursuit of a suitable replacement for Tucker should he be lost to another team.
In the meantime, fans will have to enjoy what they have right now and hope for good fortune in the playoffs.
Chicago Cubs hoping for a PCA “reset” as they tiptoe to playoffs
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