Inside The Cubs

Kyle Tucker’s Qualifying Offer Rejection Could Pave Way For Cubs' Top Prospect

The Chicago Cubs No.1 prospect could finally be getting a real chance on the field.
Maddy Dickens|
Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

Thirteen players across the majors were offered qualifying offers this year — a one-year $22.025M contract — with four players accepting, two of which were on the Chicago Cubs 2025 roster: starting pitcher Shota Imanaga and outfielder Kyle Tucker.

While Imanaga was one who accepted the deal, Tucker was not, which doesn't come as a surprise. Tucker has been one of the better sluggers in baseball, and the astronomical cost and long-term commitment are the reasons why the Houston Astros traded him to the Cubs in the first place.

And it's no shock that the Cubs will not likely be one of the teams that are willing to offer Tucker a long-term contract in the neighborhood of $400 million. When Tucker was good for the team this season, he was great; when he was bad, he was awful.

Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker | David Banks-Imagn Images

Who Could Replace Tucker in Right Field?

The Cubs have one of the best prospects across the majors sitting in their farm system in Owen Caissie. Now it isn't fair to assume that Caissie will step into a full-time role in the majors and replace the production that Tucker had, as his lagging season still earned him a Silver Slugger.

But, Caissie could be a real contributor as either the cleanup man or a five or six guy in the lineup, as his last two years in Triple-A suggest.

226 Games with Triple-A Iowa in 2024 and 2025

  • .282 Batting Average
  • .381 On-Base Percentage
  • .512 Slugging Percentage
  • .893 OPS
  • 237 Total Hits
  • 57 Doubles
  • 5 Triples
  • 41 Home Runs
  • 130 RBI
  • 128 Drawn Walks
  • 16 Stolen Bases
Owen Caissie
Owen Caissie | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Cubs cannot expect Caissie to come in and immediately explode in his rookie season, but it won't cost much to have him in the outfield, allowing the team to spend money on another veteran bat.

It seems unlikely that either Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette or Pete Alonso will leave their current teams, but what about a Cody Bellinger reunion? His versatility to play nearly everywhere on the field could make him a great fit for the Cubs. Although MLB Insider Mark Feinsand has suggested the Cubs might balk at his price tag.

MORE: Underrated Outfielder 'Appealing' For Cubs, Per MLB Insider

Whatever happens in the coming months, it seems clear that Tucker will not be with the Cubs in 2026, and Caissie could be on the opening day roster. The Cubs will still need to find another bat for the lineup, but only time will tell how things are going to shake out.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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