Cubs Convention was this weekend in Chicago and during the event owner Tom Ricketts held a wide-ranging Q&A.
One of the topics, as reported by The Athletic, was Kyle Tucker.
The Cubs traded for Tucker in December in an effort to add more pop to their batting order. To acquire him, the Cubs gave up three players — infield prospect Cam Smith, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.
That’s a significant price to pay for a player that may only be in Chicago for one season. Tucker is a free agent after the season and his agent is Scott Boras. That means, most likely, he’ll at least test the free-agent market.
What Matt Chapman did with the San Francisco Giants is rare. He signed a long-term extension with the club before he re-tested the market. Chapman liked San Francisco. The Cubs are, in part, counting on Tucker liking Chicago.
There are plenty of factors that could lead to Tucker staying or going in free agency. One of them hasn’t really been talked about this offseason, and that’s impending labor negotiations.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between players and owners ends after the 2026 season. Before then, the players’ union and MLB owners are likely to engage on a new deal or an extension of the current deal.
The last time the two sides negotiated the start of the 2022 season was delayed because the two sides couldn’t agree on a final deal.
Nearly two years, it’s hard to know where negotiations might go. But Ricketts was asked if those negotiations might impact how hotly the Cubs might pursue Tucker.
His answer?
“It could be an element, but it really is not about what’s going to come out of the next CBA as much as what kind of value you’re going to get from the player,” Ricketts said. “I have no idea what the next CBA is going to bring for us. But talent will still cost money. So if you have a good value on talent, just buy it.”
Tucker is coming off a third straight All-Star season after he slashed .289/.408/.585/.993 with 23 home runs and 49 RBI in just 78 games due to injuries.
He’s finished in the Top 20 of American League MVP voting three times, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He has a career slash line of .274/.353/.516/.870 with 125 home runs and 417 RBI.
When the 28-year-old slugger hits the market after the season, he’ll have no shortage of interested teams. The Cubs will be one of them, and if Ricketts is being truthful, the impending CBA negotiations won’t be a factor.
