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There is something to say about being at the right place at the right time. Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker has arrived at the right place following the announcement of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500 contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Cubs acquired Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros this past winter. He is under a one-season contract with the Cubs and will become a free agent in the winter.
Guerrero’s security with Toronto means that Tucker will have greater leverage to demand more money.
That is, if the Cubs were to follow suit and extend his contract to ensure he is around for the long haul. Cubs management is “already discussing” a potentially major deal with Tucker per Aaliyan Mohammed of The Sporting News.
In truth, it would be in the Cubs’ best interest to extend Tucker’s contract.
So far, Tucker is leading the National League in certain offensive categories, including hits, runs, RBIs, total bases, and OPS. This week, Tucker was named the NL player of the Week alongside his former Astros teammate, Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox.
There is no question he is off to an incredible start.
He also brings plenty of hardware. He is a 3-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger winner, and a Gold Glove winner. A player who can hit for average and power and is a defensive asset.
Tucker is also a proven winner. In 2022, he was integral to the Astros winning the World Series. Tucker hit two home runs in the first game and made the final out to win the series.
Any team looking to get back in playoff contention (e.g., the Cubs), he is the player who rises to the occasion when it matters most, something the team can certainly feed off of.
His talent combined with his positive aura is endearing to the friendly fans at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Those tangibles are what is needed for a franchise player.
Tucker has already demonstrated his ability to fulfill that role by leading by example in more ways than one. If the Cubs don’t snatch him up, another team will certainly enjoy the fruits of his labor.
So this is the Cubs chance to do right by their fans and the organization by ensuring that Tucker can call the Windy City home.
He may not make Guerrero money or have the namesake, but he is surely making a name for himself.
More must-reads:
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- The 'MLB All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
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Red Sox pitcher sounds off on disgruntled sports bettors
Lucas Giolito is tired of hearing from angry sports bettors, and the Boston Red Sox pitcher says he recently spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about his concerns. During an episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that was released on Monday, Giolito spoke about what he described as a growing problem with angry gamblers issuing threats to players. The right-hander said he has received countless messages from fans who placed wagers on him and lost, even when he pitches well. "I'm getting messages after every game," Giolito said, via Jon Paul Hoornstra of Newsweek. "Even games where I pitched well, where they're mad at me because I hit the strikeout over instead of being under; prop bets, all these crazy things. People put hundreds of dollars on it. They don't have a lot of money but they're gambling it anyway because it's a disease. They freak out." Giolito added that there is only so much players can do in terms of blocking and reporting people on social media. He said his girlfriend has even received "nasty" messages from fans and that he asked Manfred what would need to happen for MLB to take serious action. "You can go private on social media. You can block accounts. It only goes so far. One thing I said to Rob was, 'Is it gonna take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled that lost a bet for real action to be taken?'" Giolito said. As sports betting has been legalized across more states, the number of fans wagering has rapidly grown. Giolito alluded to prop bets such as over/unders on strikeouts, which are popular among casual gamblers. Giolito certainly is not the first professional athlete to raise concerns about disgruntled bettors. Scottie Scheffler recently revealed a change he had to make because of the actions of those who placed bets on him. As for what Manfred, MLB or any other sports organization can do about it, that remains to be seen.
Caitlin Clark drops mic on Kelsey Plum's Instagram post
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
Maple Leafs are reportedly looking to make a splash trade
With the Toronto Maple Leafs losing star Mitch Marner this offseason, the team has had to fill a massive hole in the lineup. The Toronto front office has done a decent job so far, and the roster looks a little more well-rounded. But it seems that the Maple Leafs may not be done making moves this summer. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto could trade away defensemen Morgan Rielly or Brandon Carlo in an attempt to add more offense. "While we do also have Morgan Rielly on this list, if the Leafs move a defenseman it'll likely only be one of them. But while Rielly comes with the complication of a no-movement clause, Brandon Carlo has just an eight-team no-trade list and so is also worth putting on the trade board. "Making $3.485M against the cap for another two years, Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs' defense corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team's shot-blocking leaders," Kypreos wrote. Marner accounted for 27 goals and 75 assists last season, which will be very tough for the Maple Leafs to replace. But the team does have a limited number of tradable assets to work with, which could potentially be why they are thinking of trading a defender. The Toronto front office remains very active on the trade front and it could lead to a deal taking place. There is still plenty of time left between now and the start of the regular season, giving the Maple Leafs some needed optionality before the new year.
Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
Why Commanders, Terry McLaurin could agree to new contract soon
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has made his feelings loud and clear. McLaurin has expressed disappointment in Washington's lack of urgency in getting a new contract signed for the future as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season. NFL.com writer Jeremy Bergman looked into McLaurin's contract saga and explains why the Commanders just need to rip off the band-aid and sign him. McLaurin's lack of deal becoming concern "McLaurin is currently 17th in AAV among receivers (behind teammate Deebo Samuel) on a $23.2 million-per deal that is in its final year," Bergman wrote. "A two-time Pro Bowler, McLaurin was the leader in the clubhouse during the tumultuous ownership transition from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris -- and now wants to be paid like the valued face of the franchise he was. McLaurin could probably wait until the 11th hour before Week 1 to sign and be good to go out of the gate. But after the good vibes of the '24 season, the last thing the Commanders want is their upstanding star WR spending any time away from the team entering 2025." The Commanders are definitely needing to pay McLaurin just based on how much he does for the team. If McLaurin goes into the season unhappy or holds out until the regular season, the Commanders could suffer big time. The Commanders will begin training camp practice today, but it's unlikely that McLaurin will participate.
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