The Cubs wrapped up a solid 92-70 season and made some noise in the NLDS before falling to Milwaukee in five games. Now they’re facing one of the toughest decisions in baseball: what to do about Kyle Tucker.
Tucker’s the biggest name hitting free agency this winter, and let’s be honest – he’s probably walking. That leaves Chicago scrambling to replace their superstar, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter thinks they should swing big. His suggestion? Go after Tarik Skubal in a blockbuster deal with Detroit.
Here’s what Reuter’s proposing:
Cubs get: LHP Tarik Skubal
Tigers get: C Moises Ballesteros, RHP Jaxon Wiggins, OF Kevin Alcántara, RHP Javier Assad
“The Cubs have a rotation filled with No. 3/4 starter types and lacking a bona fide ace, and while 2025 rookie Cade Horton has the potential to fill that role, adding a proven frontline starter this winter would make them legitimate title contenders. After paying a steep price for Kyle Tucker last offseason, only to watch him walk in free agency, they would need to have some belief they would be willing to lock Skubal up with a long-term extension. If there’s an all-in move to be made for the North Siders, this is it.”
The numbers back up why Skubal’s worth the haul. This past season, he went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, struck out 241 batters, and posted a 0.891 WHIP over 195 innings. Oh, and he won his second Cy Young in two years – the first pitcher to pull that off since Jacob deGrom did it in 2018-19.
What makes this move so appealing for Chicago is how it solves multiple problems at once. They’d get their ace, their new superstar, and a clubhouse leader all in one package. With Skubal anchoring the rotation, the Cubs could realistically make a World Series run.
The key, of course, is making sure they can lock him up long-term. Trading away four prospects only to watch another star walk after one season would be a tough pill to swallow. But if they’re confident they can extend Skubal, this might be the kind of bold move that puts them over the top.
From where I’m sitting, it’s exactly the type of swing-for-the-fences trade the Cubs need to make. They’ve got the prospect capital, and Skubal’s the kind of difference-maker who could turn a good team into a great one.
