The Chicago Cubs notched their most wins in a Regular Season (92) since going 95-68 back in 2018. It was also the Cubs' first Wild Card berth since then (excluding 2020), so fans in Chicago are certainly feeling hopefully about their future with a young cast of stars. One breakthrough player in outfielder Kyle Tucker, however, particularly made an impact and will have a big decision to make as a free agent in the current offseason.
Tucker was signed to Chicago on a one-year, $16.5 million contract in 2025. Making the most in his first season as a Cub, Tucker managed a .266 batting average, 22 HR, 73 RBI, .841 OPS, and lead the Cubs in OBP (.377). Thanks to his monster season, the 28 year-old outfielder is in-line for a long-term contract projected around $400 million, likely putting him out of Chicago's budget.
Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have already shown interest in offering Kyle Tucker a massive deal, but it'll be interesting to see how aggressive the Chicago Cubs are in re-signing him, hoping this season was an indicator of many productive years to come. Let's take a look at the final offer the Chicago Cubs could offer Kyle Tucker this offseason.
Chicago Cubs' final offer to Kyle Tucker
With several teams evaluating Kyle Tucker in the $400 dollar range for his next long-term contract, the Cubs would certainly have to put a competitive offer together, unless Tucker would absolutely want to stay in Chicago. The Cubs also must consider two of their key players in Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, who both become free agents in 2027 and deserve their own contracts if the Cubs plan to re-sign them.
With a projected payroll of $196 million in 2025 and space opening up through 2026, the Cubs can certainly afford to keep Tucker on the roster if they plan to move pieces around in the future. Still, the Cubs have been focused on building the roster around system players like Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong, so they could be willing to let Tucker walk in free agency and trust the process with the team they've been building.
Nevertheless, the addition of Kyle Tucker to this Cubs' roster has been undeniably positive, so the Cubs could certainly put in a respectable offer in the range of $350-375 million and see whether Tucker wants to stay in Chicago. Otherwise, it's likely that a World Series contender like the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, or New York Yankees would be willing to go all-in on adding Tucker to their win-now lineups.
While the prevailing sentiment is that Kyle Tucker is likely to walk in free agency, the Cubs would be remiss not to offer him a deal before he makes his final decision. The Cubs should come in respectfully under the current $400 million projection and allow Tucker to seek the best contract for himself at the moment.
