It’s bad enough getting dumped by your current flame. The salt in the wound is when so few of the other eligible partners will apparently give you the time of day. Such is life for the Chicago Cubs, or so it would seem.
Most national pundits think the Cubs will not only lose Kyle Tucker this offseason, but also fail to make a significant addition to replace the All-Star outfielder’s production. With MLB free agency officially kicking off on Thursday, the prevailing opinion, as expressed by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, is that “the Cubs are likely going to let Tucker walk.”
Less than a year after acquiring the 28-year-old from the Houston Astros in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski, and prospect Cam Smith, the Cubs appear resigned to watching yet another talented bat walk away—a storyline that’s starting to feel a bit too familiar on the North Side.
### Cubs Not Expected to Resign Kyle Tucker or Pursue Top Free Agent Hitters
This one has to sting that much more because it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. The Cubs knew the risks in trading for a superstar player with one year remaining before free agency, but Tucker was potentially the piece that would put them over the top. After that, the mutual admiration society would reign, keeping Tucker in Chicago for the long haul.
Instead, the Cubs made the playoffs as a Wild Card team and outlasted San Diego in the best-of-three Wild Card round before losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series. Now, it looks as though they will also lose the player whose arrival in Chicago was supposed to signal the start of annual contention for the World Series championship.
But the insult to injury for Cubs fans is the realization supplied by multiple MLB analysts, who in the past few days have suggested that their team will probably not invest heavily in the crop of top free agent position players on the market this offseason.
Across outlets from MLB.com to Sports Illustrated to MLB Trade Rumors, there’s a consistent theme: Chicago isn’t expected to chase the brightest bats. Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Kyle Schwarber headline the list of marquee position players, but few are pegging the Cubs as serious contenders for any of them.
Even intriguing options from Japan, such as Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, or players a tier below, like Eugenio Suárez or Josh Naylor, aren’t being matched to Chicago in most projections.
### Cubs Could Choose to Bolster Pitching Staff Through Free Agency
That lack of pursuit might speak less to stinginess than to strategy. The Cubs have been gradually building a pipeline of position talent that the front office may be deeming ready to carry the offensive load.
It started with Pete Crow-Armstrong, then Matt Shaw, and next up are top prospects like Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara. Rather than doubling down on another massive contract, the plan may be to let the kids grow into the roles vacated by veterans.
If that’s the case, the money saved could be redirected toward the pitching staff, which has a few openings available. Cade Horton made a good impression in his rookie season, but Justin Steele likely won’t be available until after the regular season opens as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Meanwhile, with Shota Imanaga becoming a free agent after the club’s surprising decision to decline his three-year, $57 million option, the Cubs have been linked to several top arms in free agency, including Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, and Ranger Suarez.
Still, it’s a risky play. Counting on internal bats to step up while investing heavily in arms requires the kind of precision roster-building that’s eluded Chicago since its 2016 title run.
And if Tucker leaves, the optics are what they are—another star hitter walking away while the Cubs talk about “process” and “balance.”
Maybe the front office has a quiet deal up its sleeve. But for now, the message from the experts is clear: the Cubs might be shopping in a different aisle this winter—one lined with pitchers, not power bats.
Whether that shift keeps them in contention or costs them another October shot remains to be seen.
https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/chicago-cubs/insiders-predict-unimpressive-free-agent-approach/