Kyle Tucker’s recent struggles have been the talk of Chicago. It forced Cubs manager Craig Counsell to “take a few steps back” with the star outfielder and “give him some days off.”
It’s a smart move and long overdue, with Tucker hitting .184/.333/.211 with zero home runs and five RBI over the last 28 days. Cubs fans recently booed Tucker after a groundout at Wrigley Field. A reset for Tucker and some time away from the public spotlight will be good for all involved.
But I don’t expect this to impact his free agency.
Just look at what Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy told 670 The Score in Chicago. “I think Tucker is hurt,” Murphy said. “I don’t have any information, but Tucker’s not the same. He’s hurt, and he’s playing through it. He’s such a class kid that he probably doesn’t mention it to anyone.”
The Cubs, specifically Jed Hoyer, have insisted to local reporters that Tucker is healthy. But there is no way that Tucker, an MVP candidate in the first half of the season, can fall off so quickly with no explanation. Yes, baseball is hard. It’s a game of failure. He’s too good of a player for it not to click for this long without something ailing him.
Perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps Murphy is wrong. The only person who truly knows is Tucker.
But when teams evaluate Tucker in the offseason, they’ll see the five-tool player that Tucker is. They’ll see the type of teammate and leader that he is. They’ll see the accolades: a four-time All-Star who finished top-five in MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2023. And yes, they’ll see the struggles this season. But even then, he’s hitting .261/.374/.447 with 18 home runs, 62 RBI and a 139 OPS+ that's well above league average.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
All this to say: Tucker is going to be just fine in free agency. He will have a multitude of teams, many in big markets, gunning for his services. His eventual contract will be the richest given to a free agent in this coming offseason.
There’s no questioning that the Cubs need Tucker. They’re nine games back of the Brewers in the National League Central. They gave up 14 years of club control of Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski to acquire Tucker. They need him to be the difference-maker, and believe that he can get back to that with a brief reset.
And what better way for Tucker to silence the critics and get back to MVP form than with a strong finish to the regular season and a big postseason performance? It’s possible. It’s in there. He didn’t just lose it overnight. And teams will be more than happy to bank on that track record this winter.