Full Details of Kyle Tucker's free agency exit finalized after Cubs make No. 75 draft pick

Closure has arrived for the Chicago Cubs and Kyle Tucker. Sure, a bulk of that closure was had when Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the finer details of his departure were finalized when the Cubs made the No. 75 selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.

With the selection, the Cubs took first baseman Myles Bailey. Bailey projects as a three-true outcome hitter. He's going to have his share of strikeouts, but he's one of the better left-handed power hitters in the draft. Assuming the Cubs can ring in the swing-and-miss in his profile, there's a real chance that he becomes 40 home-run threat at the major league level. As the Cubs have found out in recent years, left-handed sluggers don't grow on trees.

It will be curious to see if there's a time when the Cubs follow the Tucker blueprint again. In the trade, the Cubs parted with 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith, All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, and controllable pitcher in Hayden Wesneski.

Despite the ending, the Kyle Tucker was a worthwhile gamble for the Cubs

At the time time, it was clearly a trade the Cubs wanted to get done. Jed Hoyer was entering the final year of his contract, and it was clear that had the Cubs not made the playoffs last year, there were going to be changes. The early returns were great, but by the end, it was clear that Tucker and the Cubs weren't exactly a fit.

That said, in identifying Tucker as a trade target before the 2025 season, there was value in that for the Cubs. No, it's clear now there was never any intent by the Cubs to sign Tucker to a long-term extension. But, it was also clear Tucker was an impending free agent eligible to receive a qualifying offer. If nothing else, the Cubs were assured of getting a draft pick for his departure.

It's also ironic that full closure on Tucker's exit comes just weeks before the 2026 trade deadline. As was the case last season, there's an expectation that the Cubs will be aggressive in their search for starting pitcher. If they are going to push a trade across the finish line, the deal could look similar to what they gave up for Tucker. While Hoyer's job isn't on the line this time around, considering what's ahead for baseball after this season, there's a case to be made that he should be equally as aggressive as he was then.

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