The team’s focus seems to be on pitching for now. They already signed right-handed Phil Maton to help strengthen their bullpen. After bringing left-handed Shota Imanaga back on a qualifying offer, they still plan to explore the market for top-of-the-rotation pitching options. A deal for someone like Michael King, Ranger Suarezor Tatsuya Imai would certainly make sense for a team that was without pitching in October due to injuries Cade Horton And Justin Steele. A trade cannot be ruled out either, with players like Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Joe Ryan, Pablo LopezAnd MacKenzie Gore all are expected to be at least somewhat available this winter.
Even though the focus seems to be on the top of the rotation, the void Tucker leaves in the lineup is undeniable. The superstar posted his fifth straight season of at least 4.0 fWAR in 2025, while slashing .266/.377/.464 with a 136 wRC+ in 136 games. That kind of production would be very difficult to replace internally, even with talented youngsters like Moises Ballesteros, Owen CaissionAnd Kevin Alcantara knocking on the door of the majors. Ballesteros looked like the best of the bunch in his cup of coffee with the big league club last year, hitting an impressive .298/.394/.474 over 66 visits to the plate in 20 games. As strong as that production was, however, it would be unreasonable to expect a 22-year-old rookie to repeat it over a full season.
Perhaps it would be understandable to throw those internal options if the Cubs had more certainty about the rest of the diamond, but the question marks are undeniable. Carson Kelly It seems unlikely he will recreate his career year at the plate (115 wRC+) from 2025 heading into his age-31 campaign. Matt Shaw started to show signs of life in the second half, but his 93 wRC+ on the season was insufficient. Dansby Swanson (99 wRC+) delivered his second consecutive below-average offensive season last year.
One big x-factor is Pete Crow Armstrong. The budding superstar delivered a 30-30 season in 2025 and finished 9th in NL MVP thanks to a brilliant campaign, but his OPS dropped by more than 200 points between the first half and second half. Counting on the 23-year-old to lead the Cubs’ offense in Tucker’s place next year would be a risky gamble. Also Hoerner, Happ and Seiya Suzuki are scheduled for free agency next winter. Adding a reliable bat to the lineup could go a long way toward preventing a step back heading into the 2027 season, while also providing reinforcement for a 2026 team that will face many questions without Tucker in the fold.
The question, of course, is the team’s budget. The Cubs have been very reluctant to spend more than the competitive balance tax in recent years, viewing it as a soft cap on spending. Grid source projects for a CBT figure of $197 million in 2026, as things stand. The base tax threshold will be $244 million next year, giving them just over $45 million of wiggle room.
With the needs in the bullpen and rotation, that could dry up quickly. Sign someone as Bo Bichette, Alex Bregmanor Kyle Schwarber wouldn’t leave much room for pitching additions. Even a cheaper addition like Kazuma Okamoto or Eugene Suarez It can be challenging to get work done if the team isn’t willing to spend more than the first luxury tax threshold.
How do MLBTR readers think the Cubs will continue their offense heading into 2026? Will they hope for an attacking core of Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki and… Michael Busch Will this be enough to get through the loss of Tucker? Or will they bring in an impact hitter to improve the lineup? Have your say in the poll below:
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