Kyle Tucker's decision looms large as Cubs look toward future after making playoffs

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CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was sure of one thing. The team was at its best when Kyle Tucker was at his best.

Whether they'll be together next season remains to be seen. Tucker, after all, is set to become a free agent, and he will be arguably the top player on the market.

“Everyone can use a guy like Kyle Tucker,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “Everyone gets better by having a player like that. We'll certainly be having those conversations.”

The offseason trade that reeled in Tucker from Houston played a big role in propelling the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time in five years. So did Pete Crow-Armstrong's emergence as an All-Star as well as big seasons from sluggers Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki.

With an elite defense and solid pitching, Chicago finished second behind Milwaukee in the NL Central at 92-70 and posted its highest win total since the 2018 team finished 95-68. The Cubs hadn't advanced in the postseason since 2017, but that changed when they beat San Diego in the NL Wild Card Series. In the NLDS against the Brewers, they regrouped after losing the first two games and won the next two before getting knocked out on Saturday.

“I was really proud of the way that group came together,” Hoyer said. “They really cared about each other. They really worked hard together. It was a really special group.”

Whether Tucker remains part of that group or turns out to be a one-year rental is a big question. The four-time All-Star started the season on a strong note before struggling through injuries to his right hand and left calf. He finished with a .266 average and 22 homers while driving in 73 runs and scoring 91.

Tucker also found friendlier confines on the road than at Wrigley Field, where he hit just .236 with seven home runs compared to .292 with 15 in away games.

If Tucker does leave, the Cubs could try to reunite with Kyle Schwarber in free agency. They could also go young and give players like Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros a shot.

Hoyer said he hasn't discussed the budget yet with ownership. But he said he's “confident” he will have the resources to “field a good team.”

While Tucker's future looms large, the Cubs also have a decision to make on Shota Imanaga.

The Japanese left-hander agreed to a $53 million, four-year contract prior to the 2024 season that includes a club option for 2028. The Cubs can exercise that option now or after next season. If they don't in either instance, the 32-year-old Imanaga would have the right to opt out of the remainder of the deal and become a free agent.

Imanaga was an All-Star as a rookie in 2024, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts. But his production dropped this year and he was shaky in the playoffs. He missed most of May and June with a strained left hamstring, and he gave up a combined 15 homers in August and September.

Imanaga was 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 25 regular-season starts. In two playoff appearances against San Diego and Milwaukee, he had an 8.10 ERA. He took the loss in Game 2 against the Brewers, when he gave up four runs and two homers in 2 2/3 innings.

Hoyer praised the affable and outgoing Imanaga as a “great teammate” and “terrific asset to the organization.”

“Obviously, we have decisions to make and discussions to (have),” he added. “Over the course of the next two, three weeks, we'll do that. I've got nothing but positive things to say about Shota.”

Either way, the Cubs could use another arm in the rotation.

Justin Steele, an All-Star in 2023, made just four starts before having season-ending elbow surgery. Hoyer, meanwhile, said he had no regrets about not acquiring another frontline starter prior to the trade deadline.

“I know what the market was and how tight the starting pitching market was,” he said. “I know to acquire players that could impact a pennant race, it would have cost us players that impacted our second half in a big way on the team.”

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