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Has Extended Slump Impacted The Value of Cubs’ Kyle Tucker In Free Agency?

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 11:12 AM ET

With another series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, it’s getting close to being time to hit the panic button for the Chicago Cubs.

In the first half of the season, the Cubs looked like they were going to be one of the teams to beat in the National League. At the time, everything was clicking for them, and they got off to a red-hot start.

Unfortunately, their play has cooled off significantly of late, and the team has now been passed by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Winning the division now seems unlikely.

While the team made additions at the trade deadline to help support and try to improve their pitching staff, it has shockingly been the struggles of the offense that have held the team back of late.

With all of the talent that this batting order has, it’s shocking to see that nearly everyone has been off of late. However, it has been one player in particular who has struggled.

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Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Kyle Tucker being under a lot of pressure with the team struggling and him being in a contract year.

“The Cubs have watched the Brewers zoom right past them, and while talk of a possible $500M or even $600M contract in free agency has turned into much more of a "Are we sure he's worth that?" type of conversation.”

Despite being an extremely consistent slugger at the plate, Tucker has now been struggling for well over a month. It’s no surprise that his issues have translated to the team not performing well either.

Has Tucker's Value Gone Down?

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In July, it was a horrific month for the 28-year-old. He slashed .218/.380/.295 with just one home run and nine RBI. Things haven’t improved through August so far, with Tucker slashing .207/.281/.207.

It has been a long slump for the NL All-Star of late, and there is no power to be found for him right now. While the on-base percentage indicates a good approach at the plate, Tucker can’t buy a hit right now.

While he is capable of turning things around in the blink of an eye, Chicago needs him to be an MVP-caliber player. The Cubs gave away a lot for Tucker to come in and be their star player. For the last month, he has been a disappointment, and that has reflected in the team’s win-loss total.

With Tucker set to be the top free agent available this winter, his value has certainly shifted a bit during this poor stretch. For Chicago, they will be hoping that he can turn it around quickly, or this team could be in trouble.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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