4 teams that could ruin chances of a Kyle Tucker-Cubs reunion in free agency

Given the uncertainty surrounding Kyle Tucker's ailing calf and the potential impact on the All-Star's availability in the coming weeks, looking ahead to the offseason may feel premature. But, as we've seen, when he's healthy and at his best, Tucker has been a transformative presence for the Chicago Cubs, lengthening the lineup and anchoring what was one of the best offensive groups in the league prior to the All-Star break.

He's now unlikely to command a $500+ million deal on the open market given how he's slumped in the second half, but most still expect him to walk away with something in the $400 million range when it's all said and done - which, not so fun fact, is more than double the largest free agent deal in Cubs' history (eight years, $184 million).

Bringing the four-time All-Star back past 2025 feels like a long shot, at best. But if Jed Hoyer, Tom Ricketts and the Cubs are going to pull it off, they'll have to get past these 4 early front-runners for Tucker's services.

4 teams ready to spoil the Cubs' chances of re-signing Kyle Tucker

• Los Angeles Dodgers

It would feel foolish to talk about the top available free agent and not mention the Dodgers' chances of signing him. Los Angeles, which entered the season as defending World Series champs and favorites to repeat, has felt like a disappointment for much of the year. They're fending off the Padres in the NL West, but are far from running away with the division.

Tucker's agency also represents the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman, so, as MLBTR points out, right out of the gates, there's familiarity there. But, beyond that fact, there's a pretty clear fit for Tucker in the Dodgers' lineup. Slotting him into right field would bolster an outfield group that's underwhelmed in 2025 and add a (costly) insurance policy in alongside Teoscar Hernandez, who has struggled mightily in the first year of his three-year, $66 million deal.

An outfield mix of Tucker, Andy Pages and Hernandez would give manager Dave Roberts tremendous thump and allow Mookie Betts to (hopefully) stop jumping positions and stick on the infield. With Los Angeles playing with Monopoly money, there's no way I'm counting them out in the Tucker sweepstakes.

• San Francisco Giants

Another NL West team, the San Francisco Giants, are, in my mind, the most likely landing spot for Tucker this winter. They've swung and missed on seemingly every big free agent in recent years, only recently addressing their need for major star power when they traded for Boston Red Sox infielder Rafael Devers ahead of the July 31 deadline.

Devers hasn't set the world on fire since calling the Bay Area home, but has settled in more and more and somewhat quietly boasts a 138 OPS+ as a member of the Giants. Under team control through 2033, San Francisco is hoping he can deliver the same elite production he brought to Boston for the better part of the last decade.

Pairing Tucker with Devers and shortstop Willy Adames would give the Giants a strong trio to build around offensively as president of baseball operations Buster Posey looks to lead San Franscisco back to relevance in the coming years.

• Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies' top priority this winter will be re-signing National League MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber, who continues to make history in his walk year, setting himself up for a major payday this winter. Even so, there's money coming off the books and Philadelphia could, at least in theory, push that money toward Tucker as they look to bring a title back to the city for the first time since 2008.

Nick Castellanos has one more year on his deal, but nobody would be surprised to see the Phillies shop the outfielder this winter, especially if it opened the door to bringing back Schwarber and making a run at Tucker. Castellanos has underperformed since joining the team and has become a complete defensive liability in the outfield. Clearing the $20 million owed to him in 2026 could open up all kinds of doors for Dave Dombrowski, who has never met a big move he didn't like.

A Phillies lineup led by Schwarber, Tucker, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner? Not exactly a matchup opposing pitchers would be clamoring over next spring.

• New York Yankees

All signs point to Cody Bellinger parlaying his bounceback season in the Bronx into another leap into free agency, looking for the long-term pact that evaded him last time around, when he wound up re-signing with the Cubs late in the 2023-24 offseason. Of course, Chicago moved him to New York in a salary dump less than a year later, but no need to re-hash that now.

Not only is Bellinger expected to test free agency, but Trent Grisham, who has enjoyed a huge power breakout at the dish this year for the Yankees, could also be on his way out. Pair both of those potential departures with the fact Giancarlo Stanton cannot, under any circumstances, be counted upon to play the field and Jasson Dominguez, to this point, failing to live up to the hype and the path to Tucker is clear.

Fans are hungry for a World Series championship - and bringing in Tucker to pair a left-handed-hitting compliment to future Hall of Famer Aaron Judge would certainly help the team's chances of checking that box so sooner rather than later.