Hoyer: Pitching is Cubs’ “Biggest Focus,” But Tucker’s $400M Free Agency Looms Over Offseason.vc
Cubs President Jed Hoyer’s comments from the GM meetings highlight the team’s dilemma: letting their 2025 difference-maker walk after just one season would be a “brutal outcome” for the franchise.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are entering the offseason with several areas of the roster in need of attention. Chicago took a significant step forward in 2025, ending a four-year postseason drought, and a big reason for that progress was the performance of outfielder Kyle Tucker.
Acquired last offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros, Tucker made an immediate impact, earning an All-Star selection. Although he hit a rough patch in the second half, his overall production remained steady.
The 28-year-old outfielder finished the season with a:
- .266 batting average
- .377 on-base percentage
- .841 OPS
- 22 home runs
- 25 stolen bases
Tucker’s presence in the lineup was a clear difference-maker, as the Cubs posted a 78–58 record in the 136 games he played.
Hoyer States Pitching is “Biggest Focus”
As Tucker prepares to weigh his options as the consensus top free agent on the market, Chicago’s president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, addressed the team’s top priority at the winter meetings on Tuesday.
“We have a lot of position players, so our biggest focus this offseason will be bolstering the rotation and bullpen,” Hoyer said (h/t Robert Murray of FanSided).
Hoyer’s decision to aggressively pursue more arms reflects the glaring holes in both the rotation and bullpen—areas that ultimately cost the Cubs in their NLDS loss.
The $400 Million Shadow
Still, Tucker’s looming free agency “hangs over every decision” the front office makes. The Cubs traded a significant haul to acquire him, and letting him walk after just one year would be a “brutal outcome.”
His future remains the biggest variable in what could be a defining offseason.
- The Cost to Keep Him: Multiple executives around the league believe Tucker could command a contract worth more than $400 million over a span exceeding ten years.
- The Cost of Losing Him: Losing Tucker for nothing after giving up premium assets would be a tough pill to swallow for a team trying to build sustainable success.
Until his situation is resolved, it casts a shadow over the rest of the offseason. Every move, whether it is targeting pitching, exploring trades, or allocating the budget, depends on whether Tucker is part of the long-term plan.
