Chicago Cubs: Dodgers possibly souring on Kyle Tucker, Cubs remain long shot suitors

The Chicago Cubs are staring down long odds when it comes to re-signing free agent right fielder Kyle Tucker.

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By the estimates of Doug Kezirian of The Athletic, Chicago rates as a +1000 underdog to win the bidding war for the four-time All-Star.

Dodgers remain favorites to land Tucker, Cubs are heavy underdogs

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The Los Angeles Dodgers, per Kezirian, are the favorites to land Tucker, sporting +250 odds:

“Even with winning back-to-back World Series, I would make the Dodgers the favorites as you could still see a need for them to add another outfielder. While conventional wisdom is they wouldn’t have the money to do it, as we’ve seen recently, L.A. always finds a way.”

Behind the Dodgers, the scribe ranks the New York Yankees (+325), Philadelphia Phillies (+575), San Francisco Giants (+675), and New York Mets (+650) as the other favored locations for Tucker, all ahead of the Cubs.

Dodgers souring on Kyle Tucker pickup?

Bob Nightengale of USA Today, however, has placed the Toronto Blue Jays deeply in the mix for the right fielder’s services, joining the Dodgers and Yankees as favorites.

Per Nightengale:

“They just earned an extra $50 million or so in revenue from their World Series run. They’ll put it right back into the team and could be the favorite for Kyle Tucker…

Don’t be surprised if the Blue Jays are the perfect fit.”

Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that the Dodgers may not be as deeply in pursuit of Tucker, who is expected to land a 10 or 11-year deal at $400+ million, as media has reported.

Per recent report from ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan:

“The Dodgers are not inclined to go 10-plus years on Kyle Tucker.”

According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, the Dodgers may be looking inward when it comes to filling their need for a corner outfielder, confident in the talent they currently have in their elite farm system.

Per Ardaya:

“They could also just run back what they did with their outfield last winter, seeking a stopgap option or turning to even some internal choices, according to multiple people familiar with the team’s thinking…Arguably, the four best prospects in the Dodgers’ well-regarded farm systems are all outfielders, headlined by Futures Game MVP Josue De Paula, who finished the season in Double A and is the closest of the bunch to the majors.”

Someone will pick Tucker up, but probably not the Cubs

If the Dodgers fall out of the race for the free agent Tucker, one of the other major-market bidders would surely swoop in and pick him up. After all, even the Dodgers have, their financial limitations…presumably. Recent contract projections show that some, at least within the MLB insider media community, are softening on their belief that Tucker will get elite-tier money this offseason. After his struggles and almost complete disappearance for the Cubs over the last three months of the season/postseason, his lingering calf injury, and a half-lost 2024 season before that, some questions are popping up as to whether a 10+ Tucker year deal is a responsible buy.

Whatever the case, it looks as though the Cubs may be out of the running. Even a more conservative 7-year, $245 million deal would likely too rich for Chicago’s tastes.

For now, the answer to an empty right field remains Seiya Suzuki and/or rookie Owen Caissie.

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