With Tucker leaving, Cubs could turn to Rob Refsnyder for needed depth

Sergio Estrada - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 5 hours ago

Although it may not be official until he signs with another team, it seems like Kyle Tucker will be wearing a new uniform next season. Considering what the Cubs gave up to get him last season, that is a tough pill to swallow, as he wound up being an expensive rental. Had he had a better season, you could make the case for the Cubs going all in to get him, but he had a down season and is now coming off consecutive seasons where injuries have been an issue.

Without Tucker in the lineup, it not only leaves a gaping hole in the middle of that order but also in the outfield, as his departure could mean the Cubs are in the market for another outfielder. Owen Caissie is seen as an in-house option, but given his inexperience at the plate, you wonder if the Cubs are going to trust him with a full-time role on opening day.

Chicago also has Seiya Suzuki under contract for one more season, as he does seem like a logical fit to slide back over to right. Should that happen, Chicago would open up the DH role for guys like Moises Ballesteros and Caissie, but again, with both of them lacking experience, can either of them hold down a spot long term?

I get the argument that you need to play the kids to see what they can do, but given the season the Cubs had in 2025, it's clear they are built to contend now, so throwing inexperienced guys out there is risky. With Tucker all but gone, look for the Cubs to target an outfielder, and former Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder could be a name to consider.

Although not one of the more sexy names when it comes to free agent targets, Refsnyder is an outfielder who can play multiple positions, but does hit right-handed. Ideally, you would love to add another lefty to this lineup, but with Ian Happ better against righties and a slew of lefties in Ballesteros and Caissie, among others, adding Refsnyder would improve the Cubs' struggles against left-handed pitchers, which was an issue in 2025.

There is no doubt that Caissie has as high a ceiling as anyone in the Cubs system, but he is an unproven guy with a high-strikeout rate and someone who has had issues against lefties in the past. Refsnyder would allow the Cubs to develop Caissie at a slower pace and has a history of destroying left-handed pitching.

As good as the Cubs' lineup was for most of the season, they ranked near the bottom of the league against left-handers, which was a huge surprise. Adding Refsnyder could help in that category, as he hit .302 in each of the past two seasons against lefties, totaling nearly 300 total at-bats.

Looking further into his career, Refsnyder has had nearly 800 plate appearances against lefties and has hit .281 in those appearances. That would put him behind only Nico Hoerner among the Cubs in overall success against lefties, so you can see the value of bringing him in.

While no one is expecting Refsnyder to come in as a platoon-only player who would only play against lefties, you can make the argument that he isn't an everyday option either. In fact, he is somewhere in between, so if deployed properly, you could see plenty of production from him, which in turn improves the Cubs' bench depth, which was another issue last season.

Entering his age-35 season, Refsnyder is nearing the end of his MLB career and is much older than many people realize. Even then, he has gone about his business and is coming off a season in which he hit .269 with nine homers and 30 RBIs as a platoon player. Those aren't blow-you-away numbers, but for a part-time player, that is decent production, and it's the type of production you should expect from him if used the correct way.

What stands out most about his performance is that Refsnyder has gotten better over the past two seasons, with 20 of his 33 homers coming since 2024 and a career-high 11 in 2024. He also added 70 RBIs during that time, which shows he has taken on the platoon role and run with it.

With an expected contract of one year in the 7-8 million range, Refsnyder is the perfect fit for a team that loves to chase short-term deals. He is a great bench option when needed, a terrific clubhouse leader, and has a knack for pounding left-handed pitching. All of those things are what the Cubs need to improve upon, so why not go out and get someone that can help with all of it?