Houston Astros fans are still getting used to seeing Kyle Tucker at Daikin Park as a visitor rather than their team's headliner. But that reality ostensibly set in when the standout outfielder crushed a home run over the right-field wall he once manned for the Chicago Cubs. You can't help but wonder what's going through shortstop Jeremy Peña's mind as this unfolds in the fourth inning.
Tucker's three-run blast opened the game for the Cubs, which yielded a mixed reaction from the crowd. Some were still rooting for his success, while others booed him for increasing the Astros' deficit to five runs. It's hard to envision Peña, whose contract expires in 2027, likes seeing a former franchise centerpiece treated this way.
KYLE TUCKER'S HOMECOMING BLAST!
— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2025
The @Cubs have three homers and six runs THIS INNING pic.twitter.com/HDlGLXdPU2
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Jeremy Peña, Scott Boras could see Astros fans booing Kyle Tucker as off-putting
Does seeing the Houston faithful turn on Tucker like this impact Peña and his newly hired representation, baseball super agent Scott Boras? The Cubs star was once a key cog for the Astros and vital to their World Series run in 2022. A championship, especially one that recent, typically merits lifetime reverence; what message does this send?
Tucker took the response from the folks in attendance for his emphatic homecoming in stride, calling it a "good thing" (h/t Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). He believes it means the Cubs are doing "[their] job." Nonetheless, the "what have you done for me lately" mindset of those who once admired him now jeering isn't the best look.
Astros fans should right their wrong with Kyle Tucker
Notably, Tucker was greeted with a standing ovation upon returning to Houston for the first time since getting traded to Chicago in the prior contest. It's a significant tone shift virtually overnight. 'Stros supporters were so quick to put that and his seven seasons with the organization over a four-bagger in late June? Being passionate is one thing, but this can't help negotiations Peña.
Houston already saw one opportunity to extend Peña long-term slip through their fingers as soon as Boras entered the picture. The Astros fans should tread lightly, though they're complicating matters by booing Tucker instead. It sends a bad message, which the infielder's shrewd new agent could point out to him.