Cubs’ Kyle Tucker Will Have ‘Multitude’ of Free Agent Suitors Despite Horrific Slump

Kyle Tucker has been in a major slump since baseball returned from the All-Star break, and his poor performances are becoming more noticeable across the league.

While many are concerned Tucker won’t be able to figure it out this year, MLB insider Robert Murray believes his short-term slump won’t change anything when free agency begins.

“When teams evaluate Tucker in the offseason, they’ll see the five-tool player that Tucker is,” wrote Murray. “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.”

Teams will see the slump, but they won’t care about it. Every general manager knows even the best players go through slumps. The bigger picture speaks for itself, and Murray takes his thought process one step further.

“All this to say: Tucker is going to be just fine in free agency,” wrote Murray. “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.”

Tucker has been rumored to be on the verge of getting a $600 million contract this offseason, and he appears still on track to get one despite his issues at the plate.

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