Kyle Tucker buzz grows as pair of NL West rivals emerges as serious suitor

The Kyle Tucker sweepstakes are officially underway, as the Cubs were eliminated from the 2025 postseason by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in the NLDS — a series that needed a winner-take-all Game 5 to determine who would advance to the conference championship series.

A huge reason Chicago was able to get to the NLDS in the first place had to do with Tucker, as his production in his first year with the team helped them clinch a home playoff series, which led to their defeating the Padres and advancing.

Two NL West rivals are rising as real players for Kyle Tucker

The Cubs made the deal for Tucker in December with the Houston Astros, giving up Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and third baseman/outfielder prospect Cam Smith in return.

A package as big as this one made it seem as if the Cubs would get a long-term contract done with Tucker, and it looked like the obvious choice, as the 28-year-old got off to a hot start in 2025, slashing .280/.384/.499 in the first half of the season en route to his fourth consecutive All-Star selection.

But after suffering a fractured finger in June and a strained calf in September, Tucker’s production began to drop, as he went from posting an .882 OPS in the first half to an average .738 OPS in the second half of the season.

Being a team that tends to stay away from giving out big contracts to players, the Cubs always faced the ongoing question if the Cubs would get the deal done. But the second-half struggles strongly indicate that Tucker’s future in Chicago may be in limbo.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Tucker. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold.”

Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago bluntly responded to questions about Tucker’s future with the Cubs: “No. They were never going to. Anyone that said different was wrong,” Rogers said.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post said it was “hard to see the Cubs spending more than $300 million-plus on Kyle Tucker,” further pointing to the fact that he would be out the door.

Two NL West teams were reported as suitors for the superstar slugger, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.

It has been a common theme for the Dodgers to find a player they like and throw as much money as it takes to land that player. They even have a vacancy in the outfield that would make Tucker the perfect fit next to Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages, giving L.A., hands down, the best outfield trio in the league.

As for the Giants, they have new management that isn’t afraid to take on large contracts. GM Buster Posey signed Willy Adames to a seven-year deal worth $182 million in 2024, adding a veteran leader to their infield. They also made the trade of the deadline for Rafael Devers, taking on at least $250 million of the contract he signed with the Red Sox back in 2023.

From filling a manager vacancy, to taking on five unrestricted free agents, A.J. Preller should prepare to build a 2026 Padres team that is ready to compete against teams full of superstars.