Cubs’ refusal to plan long-term may push Kyle Tucker out the door

The aftermath of the Chicago Cubs' approach to the MLB trade deadline has made it seem that Kyle Tucker won't be back with the team next season, and that mostly stems from the fact that Owen Caissie is still setting the world on fire with the Iowa Cubs. Matthew Trueblood of North Side Baseball shared some further insight into how the Cubs handled the deadline, and it seemingly is more confirmation that Tucker won't be back in Chicago after this season.

"We just felt, if we're going to move this player, the return has to reflect the fact that they're under control at a below-market price [through those seasons]," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss details of trade conversations. They went on to say that the Cubs' counteroffers and the tenor of their expressed interest "didn't seem to acknowledge how valuable those years are."

In other words, with Major League Baseball seemingly headed toward an inevitable work stoppage after the 2026 season, the Cubs weren't taking into account the seasons after 2026. In other words, Edward Cabrera is under control through the 2028 season, and the Marlins had an asking price that matched that fact. However, the Cubs, with their offer, were essentially viewing Cabrera as only being under control through the 2026 season.

If true, that is a laughable approach for the Cubs to have, and an insulting one at that. We're not saying that the Cubs should have been willing to include Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw, Cade Horton, and another top prospect in a deal for a controllable starting pitcher, but it's becoming clear once again that Jed Hoyer misevaluated not only where the market is but where the Cubs are.

The 2025 season, by virtue of the Kyle Tucker trade last December, served as the season where the Cubs pushed all of their chips to the middle of the table. Yet, their actions at the deadline were a direct course reversal of that idea. Especially when you add in Carter Hawkins' comments about part of the responsibility at the deadline being to the 2032 Cubs.

Kyle Tucker unlikely to stay as Cubs stick to 2026 cutoff

This intel also confirms the unlikelihood that the Cubs will have the winning bid for Tucker this offseason. The Cubs, in any decision they make, will have the potential work stoppage in mind, and as such, it's hard to envision the team making a substantial long-term investment. Especially when that avoidance has been their preference well before the potential work stoppage.

It's been an incredible change of tune for the Cubs. Entering the week of the deadline as the best team in the National League, the fallout from the deadline has once again provided a feeling of purgatory for the Cubs.

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