Even though the Cubs aren’t yet admitting publicly that they’ll have to replace Kyle Tucker‘s production, doing so will be one of their most important tasks this winter. And while filling that void by simply re-signing Tucker to a long-term deal is technically still on the table, all signs point to the club moving in a different direction. It seems like a long time ago when they were considered by at least one very plugged-in national insider to be the unequivocal favorites to land the right fielder.
Jeff Passan said back in August that the club’s “willingness to stop” is all that would prevent them from keeping Tucker on the north side, but the tone seems to have shifted since then.