Oh, the Chicago Cubs Really Hated Kyle Tucker, Huh?
I didn’t put too much thought into how Kyle Tucker was perceived in his one year with the Chicago Cubs. He was and still is the silent type with the Cubs, but that doesn’t really matter when you’re performing. Tucker was a star in his first three months with the Cubs, but then a finger injury completely derailed his 2025 season. A second injury killed Tucker’s momentum in September, and a strikeout in Game 5 of the NLDS is his lasting legacy with the Cubs.
Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason, which instantly made him a villain across the league. As for the Cubs, there was definitely some coping going around after the team let one of their best hitters from the previous season walk away, but you started hearing stories about Tucker. Unflattering ones, painting Tucker as a me guy, who maybe didn’t show the passion you want from a star player.
Those tales eventually made it into the national media, and now Cubs Hall of Famer Rick Sutcliffe spilled the beans on how the Cubs really felt about Tucker in comparison to Alex Bregman, the team’s star free agent signing.
During Wednesday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres, Sutcliffe brought up the conversation, unprompted. He wasn’t going to shit on Tucker live on air, but you could read between the lines.
“I had a lot of people in Spring Training ask me about Tucker and Bregman. What’s the difference? Is this just the same kind of deal? You got the same kind of player? I didn’t know then. I know now. No. Yeah their career averages are .272. Both of them. But this is a completely different guy. This guy is there to help everybody. Nothing against Kyle Tucker. He was quiet. He just didn’t chat. He didn’t really do anything with anybody other than himself and his computer.”
We’ve seen the stories coming out of Boston since the offseason, which have raised Bregman’s profile as one of the most respected players in MLB and a true leader among his peers. Sure, that quote from Sutcliffe was praising Bregman, but he didn’t have to compare him to Tucker. He did though, and even though it wasn’t a character assassination, it did expose a glimpse of how the Cubs felt about the outfielder.
You can always yell about the Cubs not spending, but it spoke volumes how the team had absolutely no interest in re-signing Tucker after 2025. So far, the results are working in the Cubs’ favor as Seiya Suzuki has come on strong after returning from the injured list, and rookie Moises Ballesteros has become a real threat in the lineup. Those are the two main hitters that need to step up to replace Tucker’s numbers from last season.
Meanwhile, Tucker hasn’t shaken off the second-half struggles through April with his new team. The left-handed hitter entered Friday with a 100 wRC+, slashing .241/.333/.371, with three home runs in 30 games.
While Bregman got off to a slow start with the Cubs, he’s remained a positive presence in the clubhouse. Plus, the veteran third baseman has turned it around at the plate in the past three weeks. Before going 1-for-4, with an RBI double on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Bregman slashed .306/.400/.403 in his previous 18 games.
So yeah, the Cubs aren’t missing Kyle Tucker all that much so far in 2026.