It may be thought that Kyle Tucker remains unsigned this offseason due to his high financial demands as a free agent with a $400 million contract. True, that’s a factor, but it’s not everything. There are other reasons why some interested teams have not wanted to tie up his signing.
Sports commentator Chris Rose of Jomboy Media believes Tucker suffers from what he called “Anthony Rendon syndrome,” named after the Los Angeles Angels player. He claimed that, like Rendon, Tucker is disenchanted with the sport as a result of the continued mental and emotional distress caused by injuries.
I think he’s getting affected a little bit by the Anthony Rendon syndrome. You’ve heard rumors, whether it’s from Joel Sherman of The New York Post or other people that have said, ‘Maybe he doesn’t love the game.’
Due to the $400 million he is asking for, Tucker has been the subject of scrutiny and evaluation by franchises that have the payroll to pay that figure and are looking for his services. If they have not ventured to drop that money, it is because they have found something in the player that does not convince them, and possibly it is the injuries and the loss of enjoyment for baseball.
For Rose, teams that are pretending to be interested in his bat are wasting valuable time by focusing on other elements that may pay off more in the future and are currently thriving. For example, Bryce Harper of the Phillies.
But I wonder if some teams are a little hesitant. If you’re going to give a player a 10-year contract, you’d better hope it’s someone like Bryce Harper. Then you know that guy loves baseball
The Anthony Rendon case
The Los Angeles Angels offered Anthony Rendon a seven-year, $245 million contract after he helped the Washington Nationals win the 2019 World Series
This deal ranks among the worst contracts in MLB history. Rendon played just 257 games with the team due to injury. He also spoke about his lack of motivation to play, despite being among the highest-paid athletes in the sport.
More reasons for Kyle Tucker not to be signed in the offseason
MLB analyst Trevor Plouffe believes teams are not offering Kyle Tucker the lucrative long-term contract he is seeking because he has yet to have a truly monumental campaign. He believes the Cubs’ bat is not seen as an elite player, as his greatness lies in all-around consistency rather than generating explosive offensive production.
Kyle spent the first seven years of his Major League career with the Houston Astros. He averaged 5.2 bWAR over his last four seasons with the team. The left-handed hitter suffered a dip in production last year, despite getting off to a very solid start after joining the Chicago Cubs. He posted 4.6 bWAR in 136 games, with a .266/.377/.464 slash line, plus 22 home runs, 73 RBIs and a 143 OPS+.
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