The Chicago Cubs will be facing a unique dilemma down the stretch and into the offseason.
That dilemma centers around what to do with right fielder Kyle Tucker.
The multi-tool asset came to the Cubs via trade with the Houston Astros that cost them third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and, most importantly, 2024 no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith. It was, admittedly, a lot to give up for potentially just one year of Tucker, who was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.
But, supposedly, Chicago was “all-in” when it came to winning in 2025 and Tucker certainly had the professional pedigree and history to be the guy to help push a team into a deep postseason run.
The gamble to bring in Kyle Tucker
For a while, the Cubs’ gamble looked to be paying off in spades. Their offense, with Tucker as the linchpin of the lineup, was rolling over opposition, motoring the team to a best-record-in-baseball position.
Then July came, Tucker fell off the map, and pretty much the rest of the lineup followed him.
How far has the four-time All-Star fallen?
As of this writing, the last time he had an RBI was August 9– and that’s been his only one in August. The last time he hit a home run? July 19. The last home run before that? June 28. It certainly doesn’t help that Tucker’s batting average during his sickly July 1 to the present run is a below-Mendoza Line .195.
Tucker’s value has not diminished?
Despite the flat-lining during this crucial portion of the season, some feel that his value as a free agent hasn’t really diminished at all.
Jim Bowden, The Athletic’s MLB insider and former MLB general manager, recently ranked the expected value of players in the 2025 free agency class and placed Tucker firmly at the top of the list.
Per Bowden:
“Tucker is expected to be the highest paid free agent in this class. Most analysts believe he will get somewhere between $500 million and $650 million based on the recent contracts of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with the Blue Jays ($500 million) and Juan Soto with the Mets ($765 million).
Tucker can impact a game in so many ways with his five tools: hitting, power, defense, arm strength and speed. He has made four straight All-Star teams and is putting together another strong season, batting .265/.377/.457 with 18 homers and 24 steals in 26 attempts. The Cubs would love to retain him, but the open market will determine where he’ll land and he’ll be the biggest prize in free agency.”
The diminishing likelihood of the Chicago Cubs re-signing Tucker
The first take after reading Bowden’s assessment is that maybe the man hasn’t been watching Cubs baseball since the end of June. Because, seriously, it’s hard to imagine a contract in the range of $600 million going to a guy who has flat-out disappeared in the heat of a pennant race, regardless of his past output.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Phillies have already been listed as teams possibly interested in pursuing Tucker. All of those teams have wildly overspent for talent in the past, so maybe Bowden’s assessment isn’t all that crazy after all, especially if the big spenders get into a bidding war.
As Tucker’s slump extends, however, the Cubs seem less and less likely to be in on any bidding war.
Even if he were absolutely raking, extending or signing Tucker would be a long shot, given Chicago’s frugal ownership. But now? Forget about it.
Unless, of course, Tucker wants to give the Cubs a discount because he feels so bad about not pulling his share of the weight for the last couple of months. We all know that’s not going to happen.
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