Star outfielder Kyle Tucker is arguably the best player on the MLB free agent market, and the Chicago Cubs have to be prepared for him to be paid like that. In other words, they need a backup plan to make up for the impact and production that Tucker’s potential departure would vacate. Not to mention, Chicago traded former first-round pick Cam Smith, infielder Isaac Paredes and right-hander Hayden Wesneski to acquire Tucker from the Houston Astros last offseason.
With that in mind, here are three moves Chicago should make if Tucker bolts.
Starling Marte is a two-time All-Star. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
2025 Stats: nine home runs, 34 RBIs, 111 OPS+, 1.0 wins above replacement, .270/.335/.410 slash line (293 at-bats)
One way or another, the Cubs need to add a starting-caliber outfielder if Tucker is gone, and Marte fits the bill.
With Tucker theoretically out of the picture, Chicago should give Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara the chance to be its everyday right fielder, joining Ian Happ and burgeoning star Pete Crow-Armstrong in the outfield grass and keeping Seiya Suzuki as the primary designated hitter. This allows Marte, who spent the last four seasons with the New York Mets, to serve as the Cubs’ fourth outfielder.
Marte, a two-time Gold Glover, has prolonged experience playing all three outfield positions, has an impact swing from the right side of the plate and wreaks havoc on the basepath; Marte is averaging 38.2 stolen bases per 162 games over his 14-year MLB career. His versatility bodes well for a soon-to-be young Cubs’ outfield and provides manager Craig Counsell with a well-rounded outfielder who can start in a pinch.
Alex Bregman has played in the postseason in each of the last nine seasons. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
2025 Stats: 18 home runs, 62 RBIs, 128 OPS+, 3.5 wins above replacement, .273/.360/.462 slash line (433 at-bats)
The Cubs know exactly what they’d be getting from Bregman: a smooth operator at the hot corner who’s a proven force at the plate with a boatload of postseason experience.
Yes, former first-round pick Matt Shaw shined at third base in his combined 132 games (regular season plus postseason) at the position last season, posting 12 defensive runs saved in the regular season. At the same time, Shaw has also played second base, primarily in the minor-league ranks. While Nico Hoerner is among the better contact hitters in the sport, Shaw could push Hoerner to be the starting second baseman, with the loser of the battle becoming the Cubs’ first infielder off the bench and a versatile one at that (Hoerner has made 186 career MLB starts at shortstop).
As for what the Cubs would be bringing in, Bregman fits their timeline, as he’d provide a veteran player in his prime to complement a continually improving positional core. Moreover, Bregman’s proven production at the plate would help the Cubs bypass the offensive growth that they’d be banking on from Shaw in the batter’s box next season (Shaw hit .226 last season).
Last season, Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox ($40 million average annual value). But he opted out of the deal after the first year, and chances are the 31-year-old will be looking at another short-term deal. Worst-case scenario for the Cubs, Bregman is a mere offensive upgrade at third base, and they move Shaw back to the position when the veteran’s contract ends. In the short term, Bregman would boost a plausible Cubs’ offense, while maintaining a Gold Glove-caliber fielder at third base.
Tarik Skubal has led the American League in ERA, ERA+, FIP and wins above replacement among pitchers in each of the last two seasons. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
2025 Stats: 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 241 strikeouts, 187 ERA+, 6.5 wins above replacement (195.1 innings pitched)
As Donkey told Shrek before trying to crash the abrupt wedding of Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad, “Where’s a will, there’s a way.” And for the Cubs, Skubal would be the piece that makes them an etched-in-stone contender in the National League.
The defending, back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner is undoubtedly the best starting pitcher in the American League, if not all of MLB. Skubal pitches deep into games, posts strikeouts at a high clip and seldom puts runners on the basepath while possessing a consistent, four-pitch arsenal: changeup, four-seamer, sinker and slider. Last postseason, Skubal posted a 1.74 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 20.2 innings pitched (three starts), including striking out 14 batters and surrendering just one run across 7.2 innings on the road against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series.
Chicago’s starting rotation held its own last season (eighth in MLB with a collective 3.83 ERA), and the return of Shota Imanaga, a 2024 All-Star, will help; Matthew Boyd (3.21 ERA in 31 starts) had a resurgent season; Cade Horton (2.67 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 23 appearances/22 starts) was a stud in his rookie campaign; Jameson Taillon is a proven commodity; Colin Rea (3.95 ERA in 32 appearances/27 starts) had an encouraging season; if Justin Steele returns from elbow surgery in 2026, the more, the merrier. All that said, the Cubs don’t have a healthy and consistent rotation anchor, which Skubal would immediately become. He would make a top-third starting rotation one of the elite units in the sport.
Now, Skubal is a free agent after 2026, but with Tucker theoretically gone, that’s one less nine-figure contract that the Cubs have on the books for the long haul. Plus, any team that seriously engages in trade talks with the Tigers for Skubal is likely doing so with the intention of giving him the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, anyway; Gerrit Cole‘s nine-year, $324 million deal with the New York Yankees in 2019 is the record for a pitcher.
While costly for only one guaranteed season of a player, it’s likely going to take a pair of highly touted prospects and more to acquire Skubal. For the Cubs, that could mean trading 2025 first-round pick Ethan Conrad, one of Caissie and Alcantara and one of Horton and right-hander Ben Brown, among others. It’s a lot, but it would be for an ace with a Hall-of-Fame trajectory in the prime of his career. It would also give the Cubs the inside track on securing Skubal’s long-term services.
The Cubs were one win away from reaching the NL Championship Series last season. If they replace Tucker’s bat with a player of Bregman’s ilk and a veteran outfielder (e.g., Marte) while taking a swing at a dominant ace (e.g., Skubal), Chicago would be the biggest threat in the NL to the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ aspirations of three-peating.
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