The MLB offseason is heating up, and Kyle Tucker is still a free agent, which isn’t exactly surprising. With that being said, though, we’re going to be discussing why the Houston Astros should aggressively look to sign Tucker in free agency.
While just about every big spender in baseball will be pursuing Tucker, the Astros might be the best landing spot.
With Tucker already having played for the Astros, it makes this destination a bit more realistic as well. Keep in mind that Tucker never chose to leave the Astros; instead, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.
Below, we’ll break down whether Tucker is worth it for the Astros or if they should save their money to spend on pitching.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
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Kyle Tucker Will Join The Houston Astros in MLB Free Agency
If you’re an MLB fan, you know how good Tucker has been over his career. His impact at the plate is enormous, and the numbers speak for themselves.
Tucker’s advanced metrics from Baseball Savant clearly show how good he’s been, and his basic stats paint a similar picture.
In 2025, Tucker had 22 home runs, a .266 batting average, .377 OBP, and 4.6 WAR.
How Kyle Tucker Fits with the Houston Astros
The real question is whether Tucker fits with the Astros. When you’re not taking money into account, the answer should be yes.
Zach Cole is the Astros’ projected center fielder in 2026, and while he’s only 25 years old, the production hasn’t been great. Last year, Cole had 0.6 WAR, a Batting Run Value of 3, a Baserunning Run Value of 0, and a Fielding Run Value of 0.
In right field, the Astros are expected to lean on Jesús Sánchez, who is a bit more proven at 28 years old, but it’s not as if he’s great.
Sánchez had 1.3 WAR, a -7 Batting Run Value (20th percentile), a Baserunning Run Value of 1 (63rd percentile), and a Fielding Run Value of 0 (55th percentile).
Adding Tucker to the mix would be a massive boost for the outfield. The Astros could hope that Cole takes a big step or that Sánchez has a much better 2026 season, but to return back to their World Series ways, the Astros likely need to make a splashy addition.
The Astros could improve their pitching, but it wasn’t as bad as you may think. Last season, the starters had a 3.97 ERA, which ranked 14th in the MLB, and the relievers had a 3.70 ERA, which was 8th.
If there was a pitcher that seemed like a safe bet to be an elite talent like Tucker, maybe that would be the move. With limited high-end options on the free agent market, though, it would make more sense to spend big on Tucker and make a massive upgrade in the outfield.
Kyle Tucker Stats
Tucker has been in the MLB for eight years at this point, and he’s been impressive for some time now. Through eight seasons, Tucker has 27.3 WAR, a .273 batting average, and a .358 OBP.