Cubs’ Gamble on All-Star Slugger Backfiring as Struggles Mount

The Chicago Cubs made a blockbuster gamble last winter, shipping out years of cost-controlled talent for a one-year shot at Kyle Tucker. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reported that the Cubs “stomached the cost” of sending away Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes, and Hayden Wesneski because they believed Tucker could deliver a postseason push.

Now, Tucker stands as the biggest question mark on the roster—and Chicago may be better off letting him leave in free agency.

From All-Star to Frustration

Mooney noted that Tucker was supposed to make the game look easy. For most of the first half, he did. He earned his fourth All-Star nod and anchored a Cubs team that led the NL Central. Since July, though, his production has collapsed.

Tucker hasn’t homered since July 19. His OPS has dropped more than 100 points, and in August, he hasn’t logged an extra-base hit. His groundball rate has climbed toward 50 percent, a troubling sign for a player brought in to supply left-handed power.

Frustration has spilled into plain sight. Mooney pointed out that Tucker slammed his helmet and bat after empty at-bats, a rare show of emotion from a hitter known for his calm demeanor. On Sunday at Wrigley, fans booed when he barely left the box on a weak grounder against the Pirates.

Manager Craig Counsell told The Athletic that Tucker’s plate discipline remains strong but admitted he is missing hittable pitches: “When you miss those pitches that you normally hit hard, hit far, you ask yourself: ‘Why?’ And I think that’s what he’s going through.” Scouts added that Tucker’s bat speed looks slower, making him less comfortable against inside pitches.

Contract Reality Setting In

Tucker still owns respectable season numbers. He has produced a 4.4 bWAR and an OPS+ roughly 40 percent above league average. But as Mooney stressed, the Cubs didn’t trade three controllable players for “respectable.” They gave up that future for a superstar who could carry them in October.

The decision has now cornered Chicago. The cost doesn’t match the return. Mooney noted that Tucker “guessed that he hasn’t struggled to this extent since his major-league debut in 2018.” For a front office under pressure to win now, his downturn highlights the same offensive spiral that doomed past seasons.

Tucker has searched for answers, even taking extra on-field batting practice in Toronto to rediscover his swing. He also battled a finger injury earlier in the summer, but his best stretch actually came while playing through it.

Tucker will still command a massive contract this winter. His résumé—multiple All-Star nods, a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger—ensures that. But the Cubs must ask if he deserves another bet.

Mooney captured the reality: the Cubs didn’t trade for Tucker to watch him search for answers in August while the Brewers surged past them. They brought him in to be the difference-maker in a pennant race. That hasn’t happened.

Tucker insists he will battle through, and Counsell maintains faith in his track record. But as The Athletic underscored, the Cubs may need to admit that the superstar they thought they acquired isn’t the one they see at the plate right now.

That leaves one logical path. For the Cubs, letting Kyle Tucker walk in free agency may be the only move that makes sense.