Cubs GM Reveals His Honest Parting Message To Kyle Tucker After The Season

When speaking with the media on October 15, Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer addressed the possibility of re-signing star slugger Kyle Tucker, who is entering unrestricted free agency this offseason.

"I do think when we were at our best, Kyle was at his best, and vice versa. There's no question he had a huge impact on this team. Obviously, he had dealt with some injuries a bit, and struggled in the second half. But when you take the totality of the season, he had a huge impact, as we hoped he would," per an X post from Marquee Sports Network.

"Obviously now, we're sort of into free agency, and we'll be talking to... and having those conversations. Like I said a bunch of times during the season, everyone can use a guy like Kyle Tucker. Everyone gets better by having a player like that. And we'll certainly be having those conversations," Hoyer added.

While there was some optimism that Tucker might return to Chicago in free agency this offseason, this scenario seems increasingly unlikely with each passing day.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker | David Banks-Imagn Images

Tucker is expected to command around $400 million in free agency. The Cubs have never paid a player more than $184 million, which they gave to Jason Heyward. And everything the front office has said or insiders have reported in recent weeks suggests they aren't prepared to pay Tucker anywhere close to the amount other teams probably will.

This is why it seems likely that Tucker will be wearing another team's jersey in 2026.

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins Shares His Message to Kyle Tucker After 2025 Season

Of course, the Cubs prefer to bring Tucker back, and would presumably welcome him with open arms if he decided to give them a gigantic hometown discount out of the kindness of his own heart.

Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins shared this sentiment to Tucker when the two spoke after the season, as conveyed by a November 13 article from The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.

Per the article, Hawkins told Tucker “We’d love to figure out ways to put you in a Cubs uniform again, but we’ll see how it plays out.”

Cubs meet with Kyle Tucker’s agent, but also appear ready to move on with post-Tucker planshttps://t.co/GlrRLWVojx
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) November 13, 2025

That message from Hawkins doesn't convey a ton of confidence. But that's not his fault, as he's ultimately not in control of how much the Cubs are willing to spend in free agency.

What's for sure is that Hawkins will play a key role in figuring out how to replace Tucker's production in the lineup once he signs elsewhere.

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