Now that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. locked up his extension with Toronto, there’s really no debate about who’s the prize of this winter’s free agent class.
Kyle Tucker sits at the top of the market. The former Astros outfielder has plenty of teams ready to open their checkbooks for his services.
Some folks are throwing around numbers north of $500 million for Tucker, which honestly wouldn’t be crazy given what we’ve seen lately. But Zachary D. Rymer from Bleacher Report thinks that’s a bit high. He’s got Tucker pegged closer to the $400 million range.
“There isn’t any question Kyle Tucker is the No. 1 player on the upcoming free-agent market. He’s an All-Star, Gold Glover and World Series champion who has averaged 6.4 rWAR per 162 games since 2021.”
Rymer acknowledges some believe Tucker could hit that $600 million threshold, but sees $400 million as more realistic. That’d still be historic territory – no free agent has ever signed in that $400-699 million range.
Tucker’s had a rough go since the All-Star break, and so have the Cubs. But here’s the thing – if Chicago wants to compete over the next decade, they need players of Tucker’s caliber.
The trade they made with Houston, headlined by prospect Cam Smith, brought them a talented young player who’s shown flashes despite some early struggles. Whether that’ll be enough depends on how aggressive they get this winter.
Tucker’s resume speaks for itself. All-Star, Gold Glover, World Series champion. That 6.4 rWAR average per 162 games since 2021 puts him in elite company.
The market will ultimately decide Tucker’s value, but one thing’s certain – he’s going to get paid handsomely by someone.
