The Chicago Cubs are almost certain to lose Kyle Tucker in free agency this offseason. Since the Cubs’ front office has made it clear that they don’t intend to come close to offering Tucker the $400 million or so it’s expected to take to sign him, he’ll be playing elsewhere unless he decides to take a gigantic pay cut to keep playing at Wrigley Field.
That isn’t going to happen.
The good news is that the Cubs still have a deep and talented outfield that includes Ian Happ in left field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center, and Seiya Suzuki in right. Even with Tucker gone, that’s still one of the most well-rounded outfields in baseball. Not to mention that top prospect Owen Caissie is knocking on the door to the big leagues and has a very good chance of making Chicago’s big league roster by Opening Day 2026.
However, there’s a good case to be made that the Cubs’ roster would be better off if they were willing to part ways with Suzuki via trade this winter.