3 Cubs who won’t be back in 2026 if Chicago extends Kyle Tucker

After what turned out to be a disappointing 2024 campaign, Chicago Cubs fans hoped that Jed Hoyer would have a major move in store to help the organization get back to the postseason in a full season for the first time since 2018. Fans grew impatient when it was reported that the Cubs were not interested in signing Juan Soto or Corbin Burnes, but Hoyer came through by acquiring Kyle Tucker.

No, Tucker is not Soto, but he's still one of the best outfielders and players in the game. He's the superstar that the Cubs desperately needed. The one obvious flaw, though, is that he's under contract only through the 2025 season. There's a very real chance that he'll be one and done in Chicago, which would be extremely unfortunate.

While an extension before he hits free agency is obviously unlikely, it isn't impossible. Plus, even if the Cubs fail to extend the 27-year-old, that doesn't mean they can't give him the monster contract he's going to get in free agency. If the Cubs manage to get Tucker locked in long-term one way or another, it's going to mean several players who are currently with the organization won't be on the team in 2026.

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3) Extending Kyle Tucker would give Owen Caissie nowhere to play

Acquiring Tucker gives the Cubs one of the best outfields in all of baseball. What Tucker has done speaks for itself, but Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ are no slouches. Crow-Armstrong is already one of the best defenders in the sport and saw his bat emerge as the 2024 season progressed. Happ might not be a star, but is as steady as they come in left field and also happens to have a no-trade clause. Neither Crow-Armstrong or Happ will (or even should) go anywhere.

Assuming Tucker stays put, that means that Chicago's outfield is set at the very least through 2026 when Happ's contract expires. With that in mind, placing Owen Caissie on the block right now makes a whole lot of sense, and that's exactly what they've done.

Caissie, Chicago's No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is one of the best outfield prospects in all of baseball. The fact that he played all 127 of his games in Triple-A last season and played well suggests that he's close to MLB-ready if he isn't at that point already.

With no place to play him, the Cubs are better off moving him for a high-level return while his value is extremely high. Tucker extending would just confirm that Caissie will get dealt if he's even with the organization by the time a Tucker deal is in place.

2) The Cubs would have no choice but to see what they can get for Seiya Suzuki

When the Tucker deal went down, it was a bit of a surprise to not see Seiya Suzuki's name as part of the deal. Suzuki is a great hitter, but is a subpar defensive outfielder. Given that fact, the Cubs used him as a DH a lot last season. Suzuki made it abundantly clear that he does not want to be a full-time DH, yet the Tucker trade makes it likely that he's going to be stuck in that position unless another move is made.

Suzuki not wanting to be a DH and being as good of a hitter as he is will make another team out there give the Cubs an offer that they can't refuse. The fact that he's making $19 million both this season and next makes that even more likely.

Trading Suzuki will hurt their lineup, but extending Tucker makes it all worthwhile. Trading him to save money and/or address a position of need, likely in the infield or in the rotation, makes all the sense in the world for both sides.

1) Cody Bellinger might get traded even before the 2025 season begins

If the Cubs were to make a big trade this offseason, there was every reason for fans to believe that it would involve Cody Bellinger. He has been in rumors ever since he (somewhat surprisingly) opted into his contract, and adding Tucker makes it even more likely that Bellinger will be wearing another uniform come Opening Day.

Even if the Cubs elect to hold onto Bellinger this season, there's a good chance he won't be back in 2026. Either he'll play well enough to opt out of his $25 million contract for the 2026 season, or he'll have another fairly disappointing year, making him even less valuable to the Cubs.

It'd be surprising if Bellinger wasn't moved sooner rather than later because the Cubs acquired yet another outfielder. It'd be downright shocking if he was on the roster in 2026 if Tucker is extended due to the glut of outfielders already in the organization and the money Bellinger would be owed.