Kyle Tucker

[opti mist]

One of the key free agents for 2026 and already the CBA is playing a role. Here is an excerpt from the Athletic article discussing the Cubs' decision-making process. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/672124 ... ee-agency/

In weighing the kind of long-term commitment Tucker will be seeking, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs have operated cautiously while approaching the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2026 season. At the moment, Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is the only Cubs player on a fully guaranteed contract for 2027 and beyond.

“That’s been some part of our decision-making,” Hoyer said. “We’ve talked about that a lot. As we get closer to the end of the CBA, that conversation probably gets louder and louder.

“It’s something that you have to consider. We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s real uncertainty there, for us and for 29 other teams.”

Personally, (Opti opinion here, not from the article) I think the big market teams can afford to sign big contracts even if the CBA is in serious question. They can absorb lost time better than smaller market teams. This is going to limit the already limited teams as they consider this offseasons' free agents and the long-term contracts they will be seeking. Hard to imagine the Cardinals competing for Tucker.

Opti

[Jatalk]

One of the key free agents for 2026 and already the CBA is playing a role. Here is an excerpt from the Athletic article discussing the Cubs' decision-making process. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/672124 ... ee-agency/

In weighing the kind of long-term commitment Tucker will be seeking, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs have operated cautiously while approaching the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2026 season. At the moment, Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is the only Cubs player on a fully guaranteed contract for 2027 and beyond.

“That’s been some part of our decision-making,” Hoyer said. “We’ve talked about that a lot. As we get closer to the end of the CBA, that conversation probably gets louder and louder.

“It’s something that you have to consider. We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s real uncertainty there, for us and for 29 other teams.”

Personally, (Opti opinion here, not from the article) I think the big market teams can afford to sign big contracts even if the CBA is in serious question. They can absorb lost time better than smaller market teams. This is going to limit the already limited teams as they consider this offseasons' free agents and the long-term contracts they will be seeking. Hard to imagine the Cardinals competing for Tucker.

Opti

They won’t compete for him. Remember when you could offer a guy a Budwiser distrbutorship and the deal was done? Times have changed.

[Talkin' Baseball]

One of the key free agents for 2026 and already the CBA is playing a role. Here is an excerpt from the Athletic article discussing the Cubs' decision-making process. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/672124 ... ee-agency/

In weighing the kind of long-term commitment Tucker will be seeking, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs have operated cautiously while approaching the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2026 season. At the moment, Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is the only Cubs player on a fully guaranteed contract for 2027 and beyond.

“That’s been some part of our decision-making,” Hoyer said. “We’ve talked about that a lot. As we get closer to the end of the CBA, that conversation probably gets louder and louder.

“It’s something that you have to consider. We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s real uncertainty there, for us and for 29 other teams.”

Personally, (Opti opinion here, not from the article) I think the big market teams can afford to sign big contracts even if the CBA is in serious question. They can absorb lost time better than smaller market teams. This is going to limit the already limited teams as they consider this offseasons' free agents and the long-term contracts they will be seeking. Hard to imagine the Cardinals competing for Tucker.

Opti

They won’t compete for him. Remember when you could offer a guy a Budwiser distrbutorship and the deal was done? Times have changed.

Yes, those teams can absorb the money, but what if they have to do some type of divestiture of their payroll to get to a certain threshhold?

[Strummer Jones]

One of the key free agents for 2026 and already the CBA is playing a role. Here is an excerpt from the Athletic article discussing the Cubs' decision-making process. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/672124 ... ee-agency/

In weighing the kind of long-term commitment Tucker will be seeking, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs have operated cautiously while approaching the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2026 season. At the moment, Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is the only Cubs player on a fully guaranteed contract for 2027 and beyond.

“That’s been some part of our decision-making,” Hoyer said. “We’ve talked about that a lot. As we get closer to the end of the CBA, that conversation probably gets louder and louder.

“It’s something that you have to consider. We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s real uncertainty there, for us and for 29 other teams.”

Personally, (Opti opinion here, not from the article) I think the big market teams can afford to sign big contracts even if the CBA is in serious question. They can absorb lost time better than smaller market teams. This is going to limit the already limited teams as they consider this offseasons' free agents and the long-term contracts they will be seeking. Hard to imagine the Cardinals competing for Tucker.

Opti

I didn't expect them to compete for Tucker, anyway.

Also, that guy kinda dogged it in Chicago in the second half. Injury, sure, but there were also several times where his effort was definitely not there, and not in a "didn't run out a routine ground ball" sense.