Struggling Kyle Tucker Benched Shortly After $600M Contract Buzz

Perhaps the biggest MLB free-agent prize of the upcoming offseason is slumping badly and is not currently playing as his team seeks a “reset.”

The Cubs benched star outfielder Kyle Tucker for both halves of a doubleheader Tuesday against the Brewers, with Chicago sweeping both games, and kept him out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday.

After being named to his fourth straight All-Star team in July, Tucker has since hit just .182 with one home run and six runs batted in. More recently, Tucker’s skid has included a stretch of just two hits in his last 25 at-bats, and boos for him have grown louder and more frequent at Wrigley Field. 

The situation is a significant turn for a player who was at the top of many MLB free-agent lists, particularly after the Blue Jays extended first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in April. Tucker was set to garner an annual salary likely in excess of $35 million, perhaps by a significant margin, and build heavily beyond his current $16.5 million. 

“The fans are frustrated and Kyle’s frustrated,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “He’s trying. It’s just not clicking. We’re going to have to take a little step back here, for sure, and just give him some days off to reset him, hopefully.”

It’s still quite possible that Tucker will garner a highly lucrative contract in the fall as he reaches free agency. Some projections before the All-Star Game even reached $600 million for a future deal, as players such as Juan Soto and his $765 million pact with the Mets have helped reset the MLB player market. His performance the rest of the season, however, will likely be quite influential to that forthcoming situation. 

“Tuck is going to be fine,” teammate Ian Happ said Wednesday on WSCR-AM in Chicago. “He’s one of the best players in baseball. Sometimes just being able to watch baseball for a day and just get away from it … and not have to be grinding through at-bats can help a lot.”

The Cubs traded a trio of players to the Astros for Tucker last December, and the deal has generally worked out for both sides. Chicago, looking to return to the postseason after a five-year absence, currently holds the top wild-card slot in the National League, Houston leads the American League West division, and is poised for a ninth-straight playoff berth.