Some Chicago Cubs fans are still holding out hope that the team will re-sign star slugger Kyle Tucker in free agency this offseason.
Fans are hopeful about this because Tucker was a key reason for Chicago advancing to within one game of the NLCS before coming up short against their NL Central division rival Milwaukee Brewers.
While Tucker struggled down the stretch and missed some time due to injury in 2025, he still finished the season with a .266 average, an .841 OPS, 22 home runs, and 25 stolen bases.
This comes after Tucker was traded to the Cubs from the Houston Astros last offseason. While Chicago did need to give up several top prospects to bring Tucker on board, the reason why they didn’t need to offer up a king’s ransom, so to speak, is because Tucker was only under team control for one more season.
Now that the season has passed, Tucker is arguably the most prized free agent on the market, given his elite hitting skills and the fact that he’s still just 28 years old.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This league-wide interest in Tucker is a big reason why he’s expected to command between $300-400 million in free agency this winter. And frankly, it’s highly unlikely the Cubs will be willing to cough up that much money to bring Tucker back, despite how valuable he was to the team in 2025.
Therefore, it seems more likely that Chicago will pursue a replacement for Tucker’s production, perhaps by trying to reunite with Cody Bellinger or Kyle Schwarber.
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Insider Predicts Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber Free Agency Timeline
On December 1, MLB Network insider Jon Morosi was asked whether Kyle Tucker or Kyle Schwarber would sign first in free agency.
“So, here’s my answer on that: Kyle Schwarber, I believe, will sign first. Neither one of them will sign this week. I think both of those signings, Schwarber and Tucker, feel like we’re headed toward a Winter Meetings signing extravaganza,” Morosi said, per an X post from MLB Network.
“I think with Schwarber being the older player, and with his market being a little more set… I think Schwarber signs first,” he added.
.@jonmorosi says he expects Kyle Schwarber to sign before Kyle Tucker:
“Neither one of them will sign this week… [I] feel like we’re heading towards a Winter Meetings signing extravaganza.”
We are less than a week away from the 2025 Winter Meetings 👀 pic.twitter.com/wdoL8cxNMx
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 1, 2025
If this is true, the Cubs can’t afford to wait around to see whether they have any chance to get Tucker, and instead would need to pounce on Schwarber (or Bellinger, who will also likely sign before Tucker) if they have any chance of acquiring an impact left-handed bat this winter, since Schwarber could be off the market by the time they have an answer on Tucker.
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