Outside of Juan Soto signing the richest contract in sports history with the New York Mets this offseason, the Chicago Cubs trading for Kyle Tucker has been the most significant move around the league.
Tucker, arguably one of the top five to 10 players in Major League Baseball, is the exact type of guy the Cubs have been dreaming about over the past few years. The city of Chicago was begging for a star on the Cubs, and not only did they get one, but there aren’t many better in the game.
However, Tucker hits free agency next winter, and unless Chicago comes to an agreement on a long-term deal before then, there’s a chance the Cubs could lose him. That would be the worst-case scenario, and there already seems to be some interest from the Philadelphia Phillies. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies “make particular sense” for the left-handed hitting superstar.
“But the Phillies also might need to add a free agent or two in their primes. Right fielder Kyle Tucker, who will hit the open market next offseason while turning 29, could make particular sense,” Rosenthal wrote. Philadelphia is in a win-now situation, and while the same could be said for Chicago, the Phillies have more of a reason to worry right now than the Cubs.
If Philadelphia doesn’t win a World Series within the next year or two, its front office will have some tough decisions to make. It could even mean the front office will go after Tucker. Adding Tucker would help the Phillies get closer to their goal, making this something the Cubs have to watch out for.