MLB Agent Clowns Cubs' 'Version of Going All-In' amid Payroll Rumors in Free Agency

Despite making a splashy move this offseason to add Kyle Tucker to their lineup, the Chicago Cubs still look like a team trying to find a direction with a roster full of solid players and few stars.

Speaking to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, one agent sarcastically said this offseason is the Cubs' "version of going all-in" to try winning.

The Tucker trade with the Houston Astros was a great move in isolation. He's exactly the type of star-level player the Cubs have been lacking for years. His 180 wRC+ last season was tied with Juan Soto for third in MLB (min. 300 plate appearances). The only players ahead of him were Aaron Judge (218) and Shohei Ohtani (181).

Chicago did have to give up a top-100 prospect in Cam Smith, but the other pieces in the deal were non-essential players (Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski).

Five days after the Tucker trade, though, the Cubs turned around and basically gave Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in a salary dump. They received Cody Poteet, a 30-year-old reliever with 83 innings of MLB experience, back in the deal.

Rogers did note the front office could reallocate some of the money they saved by swapping out Bellinger's $25 million salary in 2025 for Tucker's estimated $16.7 million salary to other areas of the roster, but there's no indication they are in on any of the top remaining free agents.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer raised a lot of eyebrows at his end-of-season press conference in October by saying their players "have to beat projections" for them to be a contending team.

Hoping that players exceed what's expected of them is not a successful organizational strategy, or at least it shouldn't be for one of the marquee franchises in MLB.

A team like the Cubs should have been in on Juan Soto before he signed and should be in on Corbin Burnes, but The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney reported on Nov. 8 they were ruling out pursuits of either player.

As things currently stand, the Cubs are projected to spend $54 million less on payroll in 2025 ($174 million) than they did in 2024 ($228 million). This makes it even more baffling they traded for Tucker, who has one year of team control before hitting free agency next offseason.

Tucker is the type of player a team trying to contend for a World Series adds to put them over the top. The Cubs have a shot to challenge for the top spot in the NL Central because the Milwaukee Brewers lost Willy Adames in free agency and traded Devin Williams to the Yankees.

But the Cubs roster, even with Tucker, isn't close to being at the level of top-tier NL contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies or San Diego Padres. The Atlanta Braves could join that group in 2025 depending on how quickly Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider return from injuries.

If Hoyer's hope that at least some players exceed projections comes true, the Cubs might be able to compete with that group of teams. It's a dangerous way for him to operate since he's entering the final season of his contract in 2025 with no playoff appearances since being promoted to his current job in November 2020.