The Chicago Cubs boasted one of the top offenses in baseball this season, but fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs have to make a decision on one of their best players. Chicago traded with the Houston Astros for superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker last offseason. The 28-year-old outfielder slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs in his first season with the Cubs, but after a short stint with the team, Tucker is testing free agency in search of a massive contract.
Although Chicago will face competition in the Tucker sweepstakes from many top teams in the league, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian highlighted how the team could retain the superstar in free agency.
“Tucker genuinely seemed to enjoy his first season with the Cubs, speaking highly of the atmosphere created behind the scenes by the veterans on a team that should be in contention for multiple seasons,” Bastian wrote Saturday. “And simply put, when Tucker was healthy and in the lineup, Chicago’s offense was one of the best all-around units in baseball.
“The Cubs have a very workmanlike approach as a group, and that also fit Tucker’s low-key personality. If the market does not generate the kind of offer the star outfielder is seeking, he knows what he has in Chicago, and it was a good thing with a solid future outlook.”
Remaining with the Cubs is not necessarily out of the question for Tucker. If Chicago is unwilling to offer the number of years that Tucker is seeking, there is no doubt that other teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Toronto Blue Jays could.
After trading third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and prospect Cam Smith for Tucker, it would be surprising if the Cubs did not try to bring him back after such a short stint with the team.
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