Chicago Cubs: Returning World Series legend could be Kyle Tucker free agent backup plan

The Chicago Cubs and their fans are basking in the glow of a, so far, miraculous season full of thrills and showcased grit that makes the team hard to keep down.

The feel-good moments have been so plentiful that it’s been easy to overlook any negatives.

For now, concerns over a failing starting rotation can be cast aside, along with questions regarding an inconsistent bullpen. These are issues, after all, that can be addressed by the trade deadline.

The biggest potential buzzkill, however, has to be in the back of everyone’s mind– could Kyle Tucker be gone after this season?

The multi-tool right fielder was brought over in an offseason trade from the Houston Astros for Isaac Paredes, Heyden Wesneski, and Cam Smith. It was a hefty haul for one player, who would be eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

The trade was especially risky given Cubs ownership’s reputation for frugality and the fact that Tucker was set to be the most sought after– and highest paid– player in the 2026 free agent market.

Kyle Tucker Will Be Mega-Expensive

Jim Bowden of The Athletic ranks Tucker not only as the top free agent, but also as the one with the highest price tag, estimating that a bidding war could even push his contract to the $600 million mark.

Per Bowden:

“The three-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger looks like he’ll have an opportunity to hit that trifecta in his free-agent walk year. Following Juan Soto’s record-setting $765 million deal in free agency and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500 million extension, Tucker is expected to land a nine-figure contract that starts with a 6. Several big-market teams, including the Cubs, Phillies, Yankees and Dodgers, should be in play for him.”

As the Tucker contract estimates trickle out, and the numbers skyrocket, fans and analysts start to pivot to a plan B for the Cubs. Not even the most optimistic of Cubs supporters can feel all that great about winning a bidding war against the Yankees, Dodgers, or even Phillies.

A Chicago Cubs Plan B?

That plan B could be a very familiar face in Chicago.

Kyle Schwarber, former Cub and current DH for the Phillies, is also eligible for free agency at the end of this season. If the generous, free-spending Philadelphia ownership is seriously in on Tucker– and it appears that they may be– Schwarber could be left looking for a new baseball home.

The Tucker-less Cubs could then move in.

The expected contract for the 33-year-old Schwarber would be considerably more humble than Tucker’s. The high-end estimate for the slugging DH is in the neighborhood of $100 million for four years, which is an entirely different neighborhood than Tucker’s 10-year, $450-$600 million neighborhood. The numbers are also much more in line with what the Cubs might comfortably spend.

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently made the case for Schwarber’s free agent appeal:

“A designated hitter who’s going to be 33 next Opening Day getting a nine-figure deal? Schwarber is an outlier in so many other respects, so why not here, too? He is terminally productive. He is an exceptional clubhouse leader. Nobody would blink at giving him $25 million a year, and a four-year ask — particularly in a class weak on high-end bats — is eminently reasonable.”

Chicago Still Loves Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber, of course, is still a beloved figure among Cubs fans as a member of the legendary 2016 World Series team. His parting with Chicago left everyone with a bit of a sour taste as budgetary issues would eventually result in him being non-tendered to move one with his career elsewhere.

“We just didn’t have any money after Covid,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said in January, on David Kaplan’s Cubs REKAP podcast. “I had to cut money and that was the move we had to make. I look back on that one and it just feels like we were right about the player. In the end, we were right. We ran out of time and patience and money. I feel like he should be a Cub.”

And, maybe, he can be a Cub once again?

Bringing Schwarber aboard would mean shuffling some things around. Seiya Suzuki would be moved back to right field to accommodate “Schwarbs” at DH. It wouldn’t entirely be ideal. There would be losses when it comes to defense and in regards to consistency. But bringing in a 40+ home run guy who gets on base almost 40% of the time could make up for some of the losses from Tucker being gone.

Of course, the best option for the Cubs is the plan A– extend Kyle Tucker.

But…

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