Chicago Cubs: Well, at least Alex Bregman isn’t Kyle Tucker

The Chicago Cubs made the calculated decision this past offseason to take a hard pass on re-signing right fielder Kyle Tucker in favor of signing third baseman Alex Bregman.

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Financially, the move was a no-brainer as Chicago spent $175 million over 5 years on Bregman as opposed to the $240 million over 4 years for Tucker.

In terms of what each could contribute to the team, however, there was room for debate.

Bregman vs. Tucker

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Tucker had the greater offensive ceiling, but Bregman had, arguably, the higher floor. Defensively, Tucker had clearly slipped. With the Cubs, he was a slightly below league-average right fielder. Bregman, meanwhile, is still elite with the glove at third. Bregman’s huge advantage over Tucker, however, was in the area of intangibles.

Bregman is highly regarded as clubhouse leader and as a positive team influence. Tucker is more of a loner and a brooder who doesn’t add drama to a clubhouse, but also doesn’t add much of anything else.

Tucker, who was acquired by the Cubs in the 2025 offseason via trade with the Houston Astros, had also fallen out of favor in Chicago for a perceived lack of fire and an inability to turn things around during a career-worst slump that actually extended through the end of postseason play.

Cubs fans have recently been voicing their displeasure with Bregman’s offensive output this season—and that’s reasonable, as Bregman, himself, has acknowledged his frustrating lack of production.

The fans, though, are absolutely not making the case that Tucker should’ve been re-signed. And given the stats he’s posted to this point, there’s pretty much no difference in the offensive disappointment between him and Bregman.

Disappointment

As of this writing, Tucker is slashing .237/.332/.382 with 5 home runs and 34 RBIs. Bregman, meanwhile, is at .246/.332/.353 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs.

Tucker’s lack of production, though, is especially noteworthy given his contract and the Dodgers’ status as World Series favorites.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has moved Tucker around the lineup to jump start his bat, but nothing has produced consistent results. It’s been enough to start questioning whether having him aboard has been a disappointment.

“I wouldn’t say disappointed,” Roberts recently told reporters. “I would say I’m probably just hoping that there’s some traction for him and for our sake. He’s working hard. There’s a day where it looks like he’s back and feeling comfortable. Then a couple days where you look at him and it looks like he’s searching again.

“For me, you just hope he can find something that sticks.”

Given the recent histories of both men, it seems more likely that Bregman will have the wherewithal to pull himself from his funk than Tucker.

On the other hand, the Dodgers are firmly in first place and cruising to a playoff berth, while the Cubs are struggling. So, Bregman is probably of greater importance to the Cubs than Tucker is to the Dodgers.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-alex-bregman-kyle-tucker-comparison-2026-disappointment/