Cubs Poised to Move On From Star Free Agent Kyle Tucker

According to the article, as of November 13, 2025, the Chicago Cubs are preparing to move on from star free agent Kyle Tucker, despite meeting with his agent, Casey Close, at the annual general managers meetings in Las Vegas. The Cubs' president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, acknowledged that the team has had "a lot of conversations" with Close, who also represents several other Cubs players and free agents. However, all signs suggest that Tucker's time in Chicago may be coming to an end.

The Cubs' conservative business model, which has never executed a player contract larger than Jason Heyward's eight-year, $184 million deal, suggests that they may not be willing to match the market value for Tucker, who is expected to receive lucrative offers from teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. Additionally, the Cubs already have plans in place to fill Tucker's position, with Seiya Suzuki set to reclaim his job in right field and Moisés Ballesteros and Owen Caissie competing for at-bats as left-handed designated hitters.

While the Cubs are open to exploring the free-agent and trade markets for pitching upgrades, they believe their current offensive lineup is in a good position, with general manager Carter Hawkins stating that the team's "focus will be everywhere" but that "most of the action would be involved in the pitching market." The team's priority is to build on their playoff appearance last season, which was fueled by Tucker's impressive performance, despite his disappointing and injury-plagued second half.