It’s time for the Arizona Diamondbacks to make a splash move in MLB free agency. While it’s going to be tough, that should come in the form of trying to land Kyle Tucker.
Now, to be clear, my number one option for Tucker is the New York Mets, but the goal here is to provide a new perspective. If Tucker doesn’t sign with the Mets, the Diamondbacks are a sneaky good fit that few people are talking about.
If Tucker really values going to a proven winning team, then the Diamondbacks won’t make a ton of sense. However, coming off an 80-82 season, Tucker could be the piece that takes this team to the next level.
Signing Tucker won’t be easy or cheap for the Diamondbacks, but it’s an idea that’s seriously worth looking into.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
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Kyle Tucker Joining the Arizona Diamondbacks in MLB Free Agency
At 28 years old, Tucker is arguably the best player hitting free agency. This past year, Tucker was an All-Star, and he had a fantastic year with the Chicago Cubs.
In 2025, Tucker had a 4.6 WAR, 22 home runs, and a 0.266 batting average. Now it wouldn’t be shocking if Tucker returned to the Cubs, but he’s only spent one year of his MLB career with them. The rest were spent with the Houston Astros.
To get a better understanding of just how good Tucker was in 2025, though, let’s break down his Baseball Savant page. Tucker was in the 90th percentile for his Batting Run Value, 78th for his Baserunning Run Value, and 52nd for Fielding Run Value.
Beyond that, Tucker posted some more great numbers with his xwOBA and xBA. Tucker was in the 92nd percentile for his xwOBA and the 84th for his xBA.
How Kyle Tucker Fits with the Arizona Diamondbacks
In a previous article, it was discussed why the Diamondbacks could have a turnaround if they play their cards right.
The article predicting that the Diamondbacks should sign Michael King explains that, “The Diamondbacks made the World Series in 2023, and the team is looking to make it back. But this time, take care of business and win it…It’s hard to put the Diamondbacks in the same boat as teams that just made the playoffs and had significantly better records. However, the Diamondbacks still have talent on their team and can make a run in 2026 if they attack free agency well.”
Most people would agree that adding Tucker would qualify as attacking free agency well. As for the Diamondbacks roster, Tucker could slot into right field.
That would then cause Corbin Carroll to move to center field, as he’s a fantastic defender. Then either Blaze Alexander (projected starting right fielder per Fangraphs) or Alek Thomas would no longer be an everyday starter.
Thomas is just 25 years old, but his numbers have been less than impressive over four years. During that span, Thomas has never had a WAR mark above 1.5, including less than 0.2 in the last two years.
It would make a ton of sense for the Diamondbacks to sign Tucker, making a massive upgrade and then trading the former second round pick.
Kyle Tucker Stats
Tucker has put up great stats, really, every year since 2019. On top of the fantastic basic stats we listed above, in 2025 Tucker had a 0.377 OBP, 0.464 SLG, 0.841 OPS.
Over Tucker’s entire career, he’s been named to the All-Star game four times, won a Silver Slugger award, and a Gold Glove. Given the number of big market teams that are going to be interested in Kyle Tucker, this move doesn’t seem the most likely, but it would make perfect sense for the Arizona Diamondbacks.