For most of the MLB season, it looked like the Cubs had struck gold with the offseason trade for Kyle Tucker. But then he tried to play through a hand injury that was kept hush-hush during the summer, and suffered a stretch-run calf strain that limited him to five games in September. It was all bad timing for a star heading into free agency this winter, and threw his future with the Cubs into serious question.
But for one glorious night at Wrigley Field on Thursday, that didn’t much matter. The fact that the Cubs got a season-saving win in Game 4–a cathartic 6-0 result–against the Brewers in the ALDS and forced a Game 5 is all that really counted. And on this night, Tucker looked more like the guy who powered the offense in the early season, going 2-for-3 with a homer and two walks.
The Cubs and Brewers will play for the right to move on to face the Dodgers for the National League championship on Saturday back in Milwaukee. That means that, with free agency looming, Game 4 may have been Tucker’s final game in a Cubs uniform. At least it was a doozy.
Cubs Had Plenty of Heroes in Game 4
Tucker was hardly the only hero, of course, as Matthew Boyd redeemed himself with a sterling start, going 4.2 innings and allowing two hits and three walks, striking out six. Ian Happ knocked a three-run homer to start the scoring in the first, and Boyd made it hold up. Tucker and Michael Busch homered in the seventh and eighth innings.
It was Tucker’s first homer since September 2, when he injured his calf.
“I feel good. I’m swinging at pitches I want to swing at and laying off some of the other ones,” he said. “It’s not always going to go your way, but as long as you can go up there and have a chance and put yourself in good spots, you’re at least giving yourself a shot.
“I’m just trying to put up some competitive at-bats, whether it’s a walk or single or just trying to move a guy over. Obviously take some barrels and get on base and score some runs, so I’m just trying to do my best with all that.”
Kyle Tucker’s Deal Likely Too Big For Cubs
This week, there was heavy speculation that once the season was over, the Cubs would willingly part ways with Tucker and instead focus on its homegrown outfielders, like Pete Crow-Armstrong and prospect Owen Caissie. Tucker will have plenty of free-agent interest, but Spotrac projects him to be a 10-year, $400 million player, and even at a lower price tag, it’s not likely his future is on the North Side.
MLB insider Jon Heyman, writing for the New York Post, started his column this week with, “Hard to see the Cubs spending $300 million-plus on Kyle Tucker. Great all-around player, but with Owen Caissie probably ready to go, and considering their history of avoiding the monster contract, the Dodgers, Giants and others seem more likely.”
Indeed, Tucker hit .266 with a .377 on-base percentage and a .464 slugging mark this season, and his 4.5 WAR was his lowest since 2020. He played only 78 games last year, so injuries are a worry.
Cubs Keep Season Going
But hey, maybe there’s a win in the offing in Milwaukee on Saturday, and Tucker will get another chance to remind the Cubs what he can do. He scored a third of the team’s runs on Thursday.
“Every run in the playoffs is huge,” he said. “No matter how you get them, it’s big time. Keeping it moving down the line. We just tried to put up good at-bats from the beginning, first pitch, to the end of the game and just keep it rolling down the line and just pass it on to the next guy and just put as much pressure on the other team as possible to get out of a jam, and we tried to do our best to not let that happen.
“It’s nice to contribute and just have competitive at-bats, whether it’s a walk, single, moving a guy over, whatever it is, just try and score some runs.”
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