4 blockbuster free agents who could expose the Cubs’ spending fears

MLB free agency has arrived, and this offseason could have a different look to it than the last two winters have had. The sweepstakes of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto dominated the opening months of their respective offseasons, and the free-agent market grew stale until those two signed their respective deals. Chicago Cubs' All-Star Kyle Tucker is believed to be the top free agent on the market, but not represented by Scott Boras, his sweepstakes shouldn't be a circus.

The Cubs have close to $100MM to spend this offseason, assuming they don't want to go into the luxury tax, and that leaves them with room to add a big-ticket free agent. Instead, this offseason will likely be even more confirmation that the Cubs shouldn't be viewed as a big-market spender.

4 blockbuster free agents who could expose the Cubs’ spending fears

To be clear, the Cubs should be in these conversations. The World Series proved once again that if you pay the premium for power pitching and power hitting, you often will be one of the final two teams playing in the playoffs. Sure, the Cubs, given their market, will be mentioned with the names at the top of the free-agent class, but that is mostly leverage for other teams.

Kyle Tucker , OF

We start with the obvious free agent, Kyle Tucker. Tucker still appears to be in line for a deal north of $400MM. When the Cubs traded for Tucker last December, the impression was that the front office was willing to live with just one season of Tucker. Nothing that has happened since then would suggest that thinking has shifted. If anything, there have been more indications that the Cubs and Tucker weren't on the same page for most of the season. Nonetheless, the Cubs won't be the final bidder for Tucker.

Kyle Schwarber, DH

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Cubs' starting lineup is that they lack a power hitter who can hit power pitching. That can be the difference during playoff games. Kyle Schwarber would be a clear answer for the Cubs, but as a designated hitter, he could command a deal north $150MM. Spending that type of money for a designated hitter doesn't appear to be aligned with how the Cubs have operated in recent seasons.

Framber Valdez, SP

Framber Valdez is the ace that the Cubs lacked at the top of their rotation this season. Sure, the Cubs will have a full season of Cade Horton in 2026 and a returning Justin Steele, but they still are in need of another top-of-the-rotation arm. Valdez is positioned as the best free-agent starting pitcher on the market, but that is the tier the Cubs haven't shopped at since signing Yu Darvish before the 2018 season.

Devin Williams, RHP

Daniel Palencia, as of now, is the only fixture from the 2025 bullpen that is set to return in 2026. The Cubs may try to bring back one of Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, or Drew Pomeranz, but they will need an external addition or two. Jed Hoyer prefers low-risk, high-reward type arms for the bullpen, and the struggles of Ryan Pressly last season will only validate his approach. Devin Williams, despite his struggles with the Yankees last season, is likely going to get a contract too lofty for the Cubs' wishes this offseason.