In a Reddit AMA column on MLB.com, Chicago Cubs beat writer Jordan Bastian fielded questions from fans – touching on topics ranging from Tatsuya Imai and top international free agents to Alex Bregman and everything in between.
One question immediately caught my eye because I felt pretty certain I knew the answer and, unfortunately, that proved to be the case: ‘I’ll be honest, I care more about the offensive lineup than pitching. What are the plans to replace Kyle Tucker in the lineup?”
You can read Bastian’s full response here – but the phrase that stood out most to me was, “I don’t think there’s really a “replace Tucker” plan, per se.” Lovely. That’s what you want to hear when it was clear to anyone who watched the 2025 Cubs that they were a team that was at its best solely when Tucker was at his best. When he struggled, the team struggled – and the numbers back that up.
Cubs better hope Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros deliver in 2026
But, as Bastian lays out, the plan – by all indications – appears to be giving the team’s top prospects long runways to learn the ropes at the big-league level, which means it’ll be all eyes on Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and, assuming he isn’t traded, Kevin Alcantara, given he’s out of minor-league options already.
Barring a move nobody seems to sense coming, the Cubs’ plan in right field will be a combination of Caissie and Seiya Suzuki, with Ballesteros factoring into the picture primarily as a DH, and potentially at first and catcher, depending how the final roster mix shakes out. Alcantara can back up any of the three outfield spots and, hopefully, will help produce off the bench – something Chicago didn’t get from anyone this year.
Maybe Caissie and Ballesteros fit the bill and rise to the challenge – for all our sakes, let’s hope they do. But asking them to replace the production of a four-time All-Star who served as the engine of the offense for half the season is a lofty dream. If the Cubs backslide in 2026 because they don’t take replacing Tucker seriously, to say the fanbase would be irate might be the understatement of the offseason.