Even for a participant as tired of touting his personal accomplishments as Cubs proper fielder Kyle Tucker, profitable Participant of the Week honors for the primary time certainly would advantage some back-patting. Proper?
“I feel loads of it stems from our entire lineup as an entire,” Tucker mentioned Monday earlier than going 2-for-5 with an RBI single because the Cubs (8-5) opened a three-game sequence towards the Rangers with a 7-0 win at Wrigley Discipline. “Everybody’s been placing collectively actually good at-bats. I simply need to proceed that, in my half. So I really feel fairly good on the plate proper now and within the area and every thing. So I simply attempt to have good at-bats and hold it rolling for the remainder of us.”
Sure, the Cubs fared effectively offensively final week, beginning with a three-game sequence in Sacramento, the place they scored 35 runs towards the Athletics, and persevering with into a cold weekend sequence at Wrigley, the place they handed the Padres their first two losses of the season.
However Tucker was on one other degree, going 9-for-23 with three residence runs, three doubles and eight walks — good for a Nationwide League-best 1.461 OPS, a .913 slugging proportion and a .548 on-base proportion.
“I hope once we go to spring coaching with Kyle subsequent 12 months that he’s not going to must play subsequent 12 months,” supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned, laughing.
Tucker had only one hit in spring coaching earlier than the Cubs flew to Tokyo to open the common season. Clearly, it wasn’t an indication of what was to come back.
“He’s had an ideal week, and it’s been enjoyable watching Kyle form of on the peak of who he’s as an offensive participant,” Counsell continued. “And he’s simply so locked in from Pitch 1 and able to do harm — and on the similar time, spitting on the stuff he doesn’t need to swing at.”
Since Counsell introduced up subsequent spring . . .
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have mentioned that,” he mentioned with a chuckle.
That’s as a result of Tucker, whom the Cubs acquired from the Astros in December in his remaining 12 months of crew management, can hit free company subsequent offseason.
“Clearly, he’s an ideal participant,” crew president Jed Hoyer mentioned Friday. “That’s why we traded for him. “Clearly he’s the form of participant you need to construct a lineup round, construct a crew round. And any conversations we now have with him we’ll hold inner.”
Tucker has expressed openness to listening to any extension proposals the Cubs may convey to him. Their approach to spending, nevertheless, doesn’t recommend an extension will probably be possible, particularly if first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s reported 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Blue Jays is a sign of the market.
“It was what [Guerrero] needed to do, and I’m positive he loves taking part in in Toronto and every thing,” Tucker mentioned. “In order that’s nice for him. However everybody’s a little bit totally different. Proper now, I’m right here to play this 12 months and play for the Cubs. So I’m excited to get on the market and play once more [Monday night] and simply form of see the place every thing goes after that.”
Monday was solely Tucker’s fourth recreation at Wrigley as a Cub. Dealing with the Rangers, he didn’t appear to be on the lookout for solutions about his future from the town or followers. That will be skipping a couple of steps.
“It’s been nice ever since I’ve been over right here,” he mentioned. “Everybody’s been tremendous good and useful and every thing, and the hospitality has been nice. And clearly, you guys can stroll round this facility — it’s very nice. So I don’t know. I’m simply right here to play some baseball and see what occurs after that.”
