Why Cubs Appear Incredibly Unlikely To Bring Back Kyle Tucker In Free Agency

The Chicago Cubs are facing elimination once again under the Wrigley Field lights in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.

Win or lose though, their most significant offseason decision is going to loom the season their campaign comes to a close. When the Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster with the Houston Astros last winter, they did so with the knowledge that he was going to hit the open market after just one year with the team.

At the beginning of the season as Tucker put up MVP-type numbers for Chicago and the team established themselves as a legitimate contender, fans were begging him to be brought back no matter what the number is.

As the year went on, though, and the Cubs faded in the standings with Tucker dealing with injuries and slumps, that noise got quieter. Now, as Chicago faces elimination, there are some who believe that decision may already be made.

Cubs Insider Points Out Likelihood Tucker Goes Elsewhere

Kyle Tucker of Chicago Cubs — Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

"...it’s not hard to see where this is trending," Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote. "You don’t hear the clamoring anymore for the Cubs to re-sign Tucker, whose injury issues factored into a subpar second half, and forced him into playing exclusively at designated hitter, so far, in this postseason."

Mooney took it a step further, pointing out the possibility that the 28-year-old could take a shorter term deal, but points out that there would not be any incentive for that deal to come with Chicago.

"If Tucker, who will be 29 next season, winds up weighing short-term deals with more flexibility, his first choice for a platform year probably wouldn’t be Wrigley Field, an iconic venue that ESPN just described as 'a hitter’s worst nightmare,'" Mooney said.

Was It Worth Trading For Tucker if Cubs Lose Him Now?

Kyle Tucker of Chicago Cubs rounding bases — Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The short answer here for Chicago is an unequivocal yes. While it's easy to point out the impressive seasons for Cam Smith and Isaac Paredes for the Astros, Tucker's presence was instrumental in creating the kind of distance in the standings that made it not even a question they would be in the postseason, even during late season struggles.

MORE: Rumored Kyle Tucker Free Agency Destinations Will Frustrate Cubs Fans

This organization had not played in a postseason game since 2020, and had not won one since all the way back in 2017. Bringing in Tucker was absolutely the catalyst towards changing the perception of this ball club into a contender.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer did not necessarily trade for Tucker with the idea of him being the face of the team for the next decade, he did it to get them over the hump in 2025. And Tucker did exactly that.

Whether or not it's truly over remains to be seen, but if the Cubs do in fact lose Tucker to a big contract from another team, fans should not be devastated. They should instead know that no matter what happens the rest of October, Tucker already done what he was brought to Chicago to do.

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