Kyle Tucker’s free agency is going to be one of the biggest stories of the offseason – not just for the Cubs, but around baseball – so I understand why folks are asking about it just as soon as the Cubs’ season ended. I tend to think there’s going to be PLENTY of time to dig into this one, because I don’t think it resolves quickly, but there are some quotes and thoughts to share out of the gate.
I’m talking, of course, about Kyle Tucker’s free agency, which officially arrives as soon as the World Series ends. The Cubs sent Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith, and Hayden Wesneski to the Astros this past offseason for the final year of team control on Tucker, knowing full well that the kind of contract he could command would be way outside the norm for their current front office and ownership group.
For that one year, although he arrived at it unevenly, Tucker provided a .266/.377/.464/136 wRC+ slash line, worth 4.5 WAR. That is actually pretty close to what he supplied in a typical season with the Astros, outside of the gargantuan half-season he had in 2024. Tucker also hit a little bit in the playoffs, albeit without coming through in the possible biggest moment. So, on balance, the Cubs arguably “got what they paid for,” if all they were paying for was a single, typical Kyle Tucker season.
But was that all they were paying for? Were they hoping they could also entice Tucker to sign a reasonable long-term deal by selling him on the organization and on Chicago? You’ll get different answers depending on what source you ask, but most believe it was a situation where the Cubs wanted the 2025 season, primarily, and hoped they could figure out the rest when the time was right. Given the way the season played out, with the injuries and second-half underperformance, I suspect the time will be “right” only after Tucker first sees what the market will bear for his services. In other words, I expect the Cubs to be a secondary suitor this offseason, jumping in only if the market doesn’t develop (not unlike Cody Bellinger a couple years ago).
© David Banks-Imagn ImagesKyle Tucker Discusses His Future
As for Kyle Tucker, himself, he wasn’t going to drop anything too revelatory immediately after the Cubs’ season ended. But here’s what he would say about the future (via the Tribune):
Asked postgame Saturday if he wishes to return to the Cubs, Tucker said, “We’ll see what happens.”
“I don’t know what the future’s going to hold,” Tucker said. “But if not, it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing next year or not for them. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.
“I don’t really know right now. I was more so worried about the game tonight. It’s get through this today and worry about that a little later.”
"We'll see what happens. I don't know what the future's going to hold."Kyle Tucker on his upcoming free agency. pic.twitter.com/ZzbDMEK0m0
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 12, 2025Logistically, the next step will be the Cubs making Kyle Tucker a Qualifying Offer (a one-year contract worth about $22 million), which he will decline. That will earn the Cubs an extra draft pick in 2026 after the second round if he signs elsewhere – not nothing, but also not close to making up for the acquisition cost – and will attach him to an extra cost for the team that signs him (not likely to be a huge consideration for a star like Tucker).
That process will play out in the first couple weeks after the World Series. Then you’ll have the more serious free agency pursuit, which could wrap up by the Winter Meetings in December (if there’s a team willing to go huge), or could linger into January or February (if teams are questioning the second half this year, the defensive decline, and the injuries).
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