There’s plenty to be excited about as a Chicago Cubs fan. The team is 62-44, a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in a crowded NL Central and home to the second-best record in MLB. All signs point to Jed Hoyer bucking tradition and operating aggressively at the trade deadline, as Chicago finally has a World Series path in sight. This team could get even better in the coming days.

And yet, their recent success has been marred by the extended slump of All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. Chicago’s big offseason addition came out of the gate hot and the overall numbers remain stupendous. He’s slashing .275/.386/.487 with 18 home runs, 59 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 386 at-bats this season. The recent trends, however are… less great.

Since June 29, Tucker is slashing .208/.347/.286 with a 91 wRC+ (league average is 100). He has four extra-base hits over the last month.

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Kyle Tucker’s slump gives Cubs fans extra layer of free agency fear

Tucker has a long history of streaky hitting. This is not a complete surprise and, more likely than not, it’s is only a temporary setback. The 28-year-old’s track record is much too strong for genuine panic to set in.

It’s worth taking a step back and thinking about the Cubs’ options, though. Chicago gave up a lot for Tucker, including a now two-time All-Star in Isaac Paredes. The Paredes fit in Chicago was never great, but there is a huge talent void at third base in his absence. So the Cubs made a significant sacrifice, especially when Paredes (.829 OPS, career-high 134 wRC+) is not far behind Tucker (.873 OPS, 145 wRC+) in terms of production this season.

Much has been made of the potential perils of not re-signing Tucker, who is expected to command $400 million-plus as a free agent. But what happens if the Cubs do re-sign Tucker — potentially through his late 30s — and his uneven production becomes a more glaring point of concern? What if, as Tucker loses a step, these prolonged slumps become even more commonplace? Then Chicago is stuck with a depreciating asset.

Cubs cannot let Kyle Tucker slump dissuade them from offseason pursuit

Those are valid concerns — almost any $400 million contract will age poorly by nature — but the Cubs cannot let Tucker’s slump knock them off course. Letting him walk for nothing as a free agent would set this team back dramatically. It’s one thing if Tucker can deliver a World Series before his departure, but the odds of Chicago reaching the mountaintop this season are fairly low. It’s a competitive landscape.

The Cubs are a better team with Kyle Tucker, point blank. The Blue Jays will be stuck paying Vladimir Guerrero Jr. an absurd amount of money in 13 years. Same for the Mets with Juan Soto. But that long-term investment is made to prioritize a short-term window. Tucker is a major athlete and he’s still smack in the middle of his prime at 28 years old. He won’t fall off (hopefully) for a few years at least. If the Cubs can win a World Series in that four or five-year window, the whole contract becomes worth it. A championship lasts a lifetime for fans.

So yes, it’s fair to get a little queasy when thinking about a $400 million contract for a superstar who only provides superstar value for 80 percent of the season. But Tucker is a rare breed and the Cubs need to see this through to the end if at all possible. In the meantime, Hoyer and the front office need to load up for this October, just in case. The trade deadline is two days away…

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