The Cubs aren’t likely to replace right fielder Kyle Tucker’s offensive production this offseason, barring a surprise reunion with the belle of this year’s free agent class. The options are few, and the price is high — either monetarily for free agent signings, or in young talent for trade acquisitions.
That’s where growth from their position-playing prospects becomes important.
To be sure, there have already been surprises this offseason. A record four players across MLB accepted qualifying offers this past week – Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham and Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres. Tucker rejected the qualifying offer, as expected.
Those decisions could be a reflection of the free agent market, but they could also affect it. And it’s yet to be determined how much of an impact the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement, which runs through 2026, will have on this offseason.
Regardless of all that uncertainty, it’s clear that the Cubs feel comfortable with a scenario where, if Tucker signs with another team, they lean on their young offensive talent and upgrade their pitching, making up for the loss in run production by improving their run prevention.
“It’s a really good position player group,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week at general managers meetings in Las Vegas. “We play really good defense, we have a good offense. Obviously Kyle was a big part of that, but I do think that we have a very capable position play group, a playoff-worthy group.”
That isn’t to gloss over the fact that the Cubs offense went from one of the best in baseball in the first half, when Tucker was swinging a hot bat, to middling in the second half, as Tucker slumped and then was sidelined by a calf injury.
He wasn’t the only hitter who struggled in the second half. But when he was hitting well, his presence in the lineup had a compounding effect.
The Cubs’ comfort with the offense as it stands can in part be attributed to the strides taken by lineup regulars like center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, second baseman Nico Hoerner and first baseman Michael Busch.
It is also made possible by the emergence of catching prospect Moisés Ballesteros as a major-league-ready hitter, as well as the experience gained by outfield prospects Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara last season. Those three could play a role in covering for Tucker’s absence.
Ballesteros
The designated hitter spot could open up if Seiya Suzuki moves back to right field. And DH is a role Ballesteros settled into well last year.
Over-anxious in his first major-league stint, Ballesteros hit the ball on the ground often and recorded three hits in five games. But he carried those lessons with him, the next time he was up in the big-leagues for multiple games, he hit .333 (13-for-39) with two home runs, a triple and a double.
With the 22-year-old’s offensive development clearly ahead of his defense, Ballesteros didn’t appear behind the plate until the last game of the season, which had no bearing on the standings.
“Offensively, he’s a special bat,” Hoyer said. “He can do a lot of great things offensively already, we saw that. But yes, we do view him as a catcher, and you want him to continue to develop. It’s hard to develop catching in the big leagues when you’re trying to win. So we do have to balance those things out and think about it.”
Caissie
Caissie made his major-league debut in mid-August and recorded five hits in 24 at-bats before, with his playing time waning, the Cubs optioned him back to Triple-A.
His next shot came in mid-September, with Tucker on the IL. But in Caissie’s first game back, he hit his head on the outfield wall while making a catch in right-center field. He finished the season on the concussion list.
“I just feel bad for him,” Hoyer said. “He had a real opportunity to play right there with Kyle out. He was going to play every day against righties, and the concussion obviously really hurt that. And it was just really bad timing, because I think all of us wanted to watch him play for 10, 12 days … and we just didn’t get that chance.”
Alcántara
Of the three, Alcántara was the first to debut, logging 10 major-league at-bats late last September.
He provides a defensive option in center field, behind Crow-Armstrong, and speed on the bases. Offensively, however, he appeared to sit lower on the depth chart than Ballesteros or Caissie last season. He logged 11 at-bats, tallying four hits.