Could the Chicago Cubs still be, somewhat, in the Kyle Tucker hunt?

The Chicago Cubs have, seemingly, all but moved on from right fielder Kyle Tucker. The team has gone from a “let’s talk and find out” public stance on re-signing the four-time All-Star free agent to barely even mentioning his name anymore.

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They’ve also flat-out declared their focus to be on pitching this offseason.

But is there still a remote possibility of the Cubs shocking the baseball world by securing the services of the 28-year-old star?

Maybe…possibly…remotely…very remotely.

Chicago Cubs and Kyle Tucker: Best of times, worst of times

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Last winter, the Cubs gave up their no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith, along with third baseman Isaac Paredes and pitcher Heyden Wesneski to get Tucker, who was entering into his final year before free agency. It was a calculated gamble that paid off in the eyes of a Cubs front office looking to ensure a playoff berth for the first time since 2020.

“There’s a lot of different ways to make your team better, for both the present and in the future,” general manager Carter Hawkins recently told The Athletic. “That one — the Tucker deal — was one of the quicker ways. You can’t do that year over year and remain healthy as an organization…

“We felt like we needed a boost…We felt like, given where we were, that was a great way to go about that. It was obviously aggressive. There 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 served as a middle-of-lineup linchpin for the Cubs offense, which crushed opposition pitching over the first half of the season. From July 1 onward, however, Tucker languished and he contributed to the team’s sudden offensive malaise. In his career-worst extended slump (reportedly stemming from a hairline fracture in his hand suffered in June), the star hit .225 with just 5 home runs and 21 RBIs from July 1 to the end of the season — with a more than three-week stint on the bench due to a calf strain tossed in near the very end of the year. In the playoffs, he hit an alright .259 as a not-100% designated hitter, but only managed one home run and one RBI in 8 postseason games.

Ironically, it may be his second-half failings that give the Cubs even a remote chance of getting him back.

Near the All-Star break, some analysts were projecting his free agent deal to be in the $500 million neighborhood. By season’s end, though, that projection had gone down to $450 million, then $400 million, and then $350 million. Right now, prevailing thought has him going for $300 to $400 million, depending on how aggressively suitors pursue him.

Kyle Tucker concerns and questions

The concern seems to center around Tucker’s second-straight season hampered by injury and what many perceive as a slow recovery time.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, on a recent edition of The Foul Territory podcast, talked about the sudden souring on Tucker.

Per Nightengale:

“And I think teams like him, but they don’t absolutely love him. This is two straight years now, he’s had poor second halves with the injuries. The injuries seem like they take a long time. You know kinda slow recoveries here on these.”

It’s a tough call to pull the trigger on what looks to be a 10-year contract for a player who has essentially delivered two straight half-seasons and who finished 2025 figuratively limping to the postseason finish line.

In Jesse Rogers’ recent piece for ESPN, a poll of anonymous MLB execs indicates that interested teams may get creative in trying to fit Tucker into their plans.

“My prediction is that he will sign an [Alex] Bregman-type deal with a shorter-term, higher AAV and opt-out(s) in hopes of having a monster season in ’26 or ’27 and hitting the [free agent] market again coming off a better year,” one executive responded.

“I think he does get there on a longer deal with lower AAV with opt-outs,” another executive said.

A door opened for the Cubs?

In recent weeks, the Dodgers, who were apparent front-runners for Tucker, have seemingly cooled in their interest, potentially exploring in-house right field options.

The Toronto Blue Jays, another favorite to land Tucker, just signed Dylan Cease to a 7-year deal that’ll cost them $210 million. It puts into question their willingness to add an additional $350-$400 million to the payroll via another long-term contract.

Of all the major market teams, only the Yankees continue to be mentioned as favored landing spots for the right fielder.

The lowered contract expectations and cooled-down competition open the door for the Cubs to come in and make a play to bring back their star. By all accounts, Tucker enjoyed playing in Chicago and has a great respect for both the organization as well as his teammates. If a Cubs offer is in line with a front-running offer from another team, it’s not ridiculous to assume that Tucker would opt to stay in Chicago.

The question is whether the Cubs will make him such an offer. Honestly, it’s not very likely that the Cubs will make him any offer at all. But possible IS possible.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-kyle-tucker-resign-free-agent-2