The Chicago Cubs are firmly in a playoff position just under 20 games left to be played this regular season, and they also have the player that every MLB team will be hungry to acquire once the 2026 free agency period opens.
Four-time all-star Kyle Tucker is the most anticipated free agent of this class, and despite struggling a bit the last couple of months, he's still having a really good season.
MLB insider believes Kyle Tucker will sign with an NL West club
On Monday, FanSided insider Robert Murray declared that the San Francisco Giants may be a sneaky team that is in on Kyle Tucker this Winter:
"Tucker is a player that I expect to be of interest to the Giants this offseason, and clearly they will not be alone," Murray wrote. "Tucker will be the best player in free agency and should have a variety of suitors, possibly the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies among others. Those are just speculative fits, but what do they all have in common? They're big markets."
Kyle Tucker's floor evaluation is set at $400 million, and some executives/analysts believe that number can grow up to $500 million.
The San Francisco Giants have notably missed out on a lot of star sluggers in free agency over the past seasons, but they did pull off the massive trade this season for Rafael Devers. If San Francisco is willing to hand out a blank check to Tucker, then he could be the perfect fit for the NL West club, as Murray indicates.
Tucker's free agency will be followed closely, and a lot of the decisions the Chicago Cubs make may have to do with how Kyle Tucker finishes the season and his performance in the playoffs. He is currently dealing with calf tightness and has been out of the Cubs' lineup for the past four games.