Latest / Foul Territory / Is Kyle Tucker the next $500mil man? KT & Cubs convo w/Sharma

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Is Kyle Tucker the next $500mil man? KT & Cubs convo w/Sharma · Foul Territory

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It's almost like we forgot what it's like to watch
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: a player like this every day.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: We saw Chris Bryant win an MVP in twenty sixteen,
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: but he's just this other level of player that the
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Cubs haven't had in a while.
• 0:14
  Speaker 3: Saday Sharma is here hosting north Side Territory. Everything you
• 0:17
  Speaker 3: need to know about the Cubs is there and in
• 0:19
  Speaker 3: the Athletic where he writes. He hosts north Side along
• 0:23
  Speaker 3: with Patrick Mooney. Give it a checkout right now, pod YouTube,
• 0:27
  Speaker 3: et cetera. Cam you're making me dizzy, but I like it.
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: AI camera's on fire anyway. So Hoday, let's start with
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: Kyle Tucker off to a really good start with the Cubs.
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: No surprise there. How much richer did he get yesterday
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: or the day before with the news that Flatty Junior
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: signed for five hundred million dollars no deferrals?
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean he he's rich either way, right, He's
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: gonna be a very rich man as long as he
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: stays healthy and has the type of season that he's
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: already having and continues has had over the years.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: I think the question for me that I keep wondering.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Is it's going and it's not gonna be as many
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: years as guys like Sodo and Vlad get right, because
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: they're they're entering there. They're just younger and he but
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: he's this all around player that they're not. He's a
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: great defender, he's a great base runner, and he brings
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you could say he brings one
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Soto offense, but if he's a if he's a step
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: below that in the Vlad tier, I mean, that's that's
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: a hugely valuable player. So are we talking pushing forty
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: million a year at ten years? He probably doesn't get
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: the fourteen to fifteen year deal, right. I think it's
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: he probably doesn't get the years, but he probably gets
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: a little bit more aav. I wonder what the market
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: is now. He's the clear best player on the market.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Who wants him, who's in on him? I think that's
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: That's what I'm curious about, because are the Mets going
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: to be aggressive again after just being aggressive for Sodo?
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: To the Dodgers need more talent. I guess you can
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: always get more talent, but if those two guys, if
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: those two teams aren't in on him, then it gets
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: it gets very interesting, in my opinion, the Cubs will
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: certainly be in the conversation. I'd be surprised if they're
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: the ones that win out. But that's just I usually
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: take that lane in general with free agency because the
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: bet is usually like it's there's there's so many other
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: teams that he can end up with, right, So it's
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: just safe to say, yeah, it probably doesn't end up
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: back with the Cubs, but you never know.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: You fall in love with Wrigley, you really enjoy your time.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Maybe it's like a you know, if you match all offers,
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: he comes back type situation.
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: Wait wait, wait, wait, wait, this is I mean, this
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: is the Cubs. The Cubs have a ridiculous amount of cash.
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: They have the third highest I think valuate the twelfth. Yes,
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: nice revenue, thank you, and you had the twelfth payroll,
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: twelfth in payroll. Yeah, he is not a free agent.
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: Cubs fans need to bang down doors as they're coming
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: into Wrigley saying, Kyle Tucker's not a free agent. We
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: do not have to lose him to free agency, because
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: I think I'm on board with you. You lose him
• 3:20
  Speaker 4: the free agency if he gets there. I think that's
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: the history of what happens. They traded away players to
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: get Kyle Tucker. It's okay if you go ahead and
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: extend this man right away. Think about what the Red
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: Sox just did with Garrik Crochet, Think about what the
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Dodgers did with Mookie Betts. They never let those guys
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: get to free agency. He's not a free agent.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: Don't to me.
• 3:44
  Speaker 4: Ricks needs to say, I'm not letting this one get away.
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: I'll give him the money, a little bit less years,
• 3:51
  Speaker 4: but a little bit more aav like you just said,
• 3:54
  Speaker 4: Dan Vladiot, I don't disagree.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: He doesn't sound like someone that's like super that's still
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: like desperate to sign an extension. Right He doesn't know
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Chicago yet. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't enjoy
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: playing for the Cubs. The fans already love him. He's
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: going to get love from them all season long. He's
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: not someone that feeds off of that as much. It
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: doesn't seem my understanding about who he is. He's a
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: pretty soft spoken guy. Just loves to play baseball. That's
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: what he wants to do. He wants to come to
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: the ballpark, put up numbers and win. I agree that
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: they should do everything they can to extend him. I
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: think it just gets back to what you're talking about
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: their twelfth in payroll. You know, it depends what you're
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: looking at it. You know, anywhere from tenth to fourteenth
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: or different numbers.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: Different places have different numbers.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: They're not up there where they should be, right would
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: you think the Chicago Cubs should be? So the question becomes, Okay,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: you hand out this, you say, they do extend him,
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: and they give him. Let's let's just throw out four
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: hundred and ten right, ten years, four hundred million. You
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: have forty million to one player. I think he's worth
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: it right in today's game, in today's market.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: That's how it works.
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: There's so many questions that the Cubs have as well,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: because if Jed Hoyer is handing out that contract and
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: they don't make the playoffs this year, that's some that's
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: probably on a new team president or gm stocket.
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: Then there's a CBA coming up. You know that that could.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: Change financial situations for everyone. We don't know what that's
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: going to look like. I think these are their questions,
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: and ultimately, what is the Cub's payroll going to be
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: If you're handing out forty million to one player, you
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: better have something in the two sixty range, right, you
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: want to be super aggressive.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: That's how it kind of works.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: If you're sitting at two ten like they are currently,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: and you're handing forty to one player, that really hamstrings
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: how you how you go supplement around that player. Yes,
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: he's a great player, he does you know in this market,
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: he deserves that type of money, but you need a
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: full team around him. And they have to consider how
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: they like where their payroll is going to be.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: That's what baseball ops needs to think about.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: And you know, if they're going to be sitting at
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: two ten every every year, that makes things a lot harder.
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: I went from being extremely optimistic about Kyle Tucker Cubs,
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: They're gonna get their guy, and then I'm convinced you're right,
• 6:23
  Speaker 5: it's not gonna happen.
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: I know you says, I'm assuming it's not gonna happen.
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: So with that said, this season right now, why would
• 6:33
  Speaker 5: you bring Kyle Tucker in if you didn't have any
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: plans on re signing him. I just that's my first question.
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: And then two, what is the direction if you don't,
• 6:43
  Speaker 5: Because you're right, that's a lot of money that you
• 6:45
  Speaker 5: do now.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Save and you do have pieces and holes.
• 6:49
  Speaker 5: What would be the most important piece that they're eyeing
• 6:52
  Speaker 5: if it's not Kyle Tucker.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so the reason you bring him in is because
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: essentially they need to win this year, right they have
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: to or it's their jobs.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: That they don't have it that they're like.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: I think it's as simple as that, right, And they
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: it's been pretty obvious what they've needed. They've needed this
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: huge bat in the middle of their lineup. They haven't
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: been able to develop that player ever since the twenty
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: twenty the twenty sixteen team was traded away, the core
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: was traded away in twenty one. That this is what's
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: needed to they've needed the big bat, they haven't gotten it.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Now they have it, and they.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: Had to pay up big to get a stud like
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: your top five bat in the league.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: So I think that's that answers that question. What's the
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: plan afterwards? I think that's that's what we all kind
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: of wonder, Right, Okay, if you sign Kyle Tucker, then
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: you're a big market team. Then you're then you're spending big. Right,
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: if that's what the front office is doing, then you're
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: spending big. You're spending top Let's let's say six seven, Right,
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: you're you're in the upper crust of baseball, maybe not
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: the Dodgers and Mets, but not far behind. If you're not,
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: then you have to really think about what direction are
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: you going? How do you treat this team? Are you
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: trading away core pieces to kind of build up the
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: roster around so you have more system depth, so you
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: have a better overall team. You have to start thinking
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: in a different manner. You have to start thinking like,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: you don't want them to be the Milwaukee Brewers. You
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: don't want them to be the Cleveland Guardians.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: Or the Tampa Bay Rays.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: But is that the way they have to start thinking
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: If they're not, Yes, they spend more than those teams,
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: but still you can't go half in half out here.
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: You can't be this team that.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Spends, Oh we spend two hundred and ten million, we're
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: the Chicago Cubs. We outspend then el Central. Okay, fine,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: but you're not. You're not really spending like the rest
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: of the league. Look at the rest of the n L,
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: look at how they spend. It's just it's they have
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: to pick a direction because this middle ground it puts
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: them in a weird spot where where they have these
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: guys like Dansby Swanson, Jameson Tye Own. You know, bigger contracts,
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Ean Half, bigger contracts, but they're not spending at where
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: everyone else is spending. As far as the big art clubs.
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: Saturday've over under five hundred million dollars net present value
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: for Kyle Tucker if he continues the way he's continuing
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: right now.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: Well, I know pup's going with the over.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they have a lot to stay apparently, Sorry about that.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, no, it's fine. I mean they decided to pick
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: this moment.
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you're good, You're good. They're enjoying this, this back
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: and forth. So Vladdie's deal gave him thirty five point
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: seven mil per year over fourteen years. Your kylie Ken
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: Rosenthal said that Kyle is probably going to get himself
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: forty plus and if he's two years younger than Bladdie,
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: maybe that's twelve years twelve years. At say forty two million,
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: it's five hundred four million dollars. So do you buy
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: into something like that in the off season if you
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: have enough teams involved. I mean, I think the Yankee
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: Kataway are going to be hard after Kyle Tucker. He's
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: got yank written all over him, right, like, yeah, that's
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: playing in easy interview, like doesn't want to talk much.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: Media just wants you know what I'm saying, This is
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: just gonna get a contact and play next to Judge
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: for a decade.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: I think that makes a lot of sense for them.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: I think they're they're the team that makes the sense,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: the most sense. They didn't pay up trade wise to
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: get him, and I know they the media and fans
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: uh called him out for that, and that's a I
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: think he makes a ton of sense for the Yankees.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: Does it get to five hundred million, I'm gonna say
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: it doesn't, just because the Mets and the Dodgers right now,
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: things change right and suddenly one of those teams gets
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: involved and then we're we're having a different conversation. But
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: if the Mets and Dodgers aren't involved, I think it
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: could stay under that. Ken is more depth in than me,
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: so I'm gonna i'll al dress again. But if if
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: we're kind of like my I'm guessing it's below I often,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: I often I'm a little low on what the market
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: ends up being, though the market tends to blow up
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: right before a CBA expiring, do teams.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: Pulled back a little bit.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: I'm curious to see how it all plays out, like,
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: because there's so many little factors going on here that
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: it's gonna be really interesting. And the Blue Jays were
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: in kind of desperation mode right, like they had to
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: keep flat. They were in this mode where if they
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: lose flat, like where are they? What's going on with
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: that franchise?
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: Right? So I think you'll get close though. I think
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: he's gonna get paid.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Like I was talking to someone the other day, like
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: it's almost like we forgot what it's like to watch
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: a player like this every day. We saw Chris Bryant
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: whin an MVP in twenty sixteen, but man, he's like
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: every ad bat. You're like, he's gonna grind the picture
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: down and he's going to like he should have had
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: another home run last night, the wind blew it down.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: He's just this other level of player that the Cubs
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: haven't had in a while. So it reminds me that,
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: oh yeah, yeah, they're they're a good, very good player.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: There are all star level players and then there are superstars,
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: and that's where Kyle Tucker is and he's going to
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: get a lot of money.
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: Cubs fans and the Cubs organization need a superstar. In
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: my opinion, that's who this guy is. I just think
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: certain teams need stars. Let's go to a rookie though
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Matt Shaw obviously his slash line isn't great as walk
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: great is incredible.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: Is this team.
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: Built to allow a rookie to learn in the big
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: leagues while they're trying to make the playoffs? Because you
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: look at teams like last year White Langford, you look
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: at guys like that struggled a little bit, didn't come
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: to their own until part way through the season. The
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: Brewers allowed Jackson Curio to become quite possibly second half
• 12:50
  Speaker 4: an MVP candidate. Obviously, the Cubs are in a different position.
• 12:55
  Speaker 4: Do they have the bandwidth and the patience to be
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: able to allow Matt Shall to become who they think
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: Matt Shall is gonna be? Having him hit fifth in
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: the order on opening Day?
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, So Counsel did admit that that was a little aggressive.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: He thought about it.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: Moved him down in the lineup to take a little
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: pressure off the kid.
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: I do think he.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Has he kind of has a leash here and he
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: has the luxury of not having to be the man, right,
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Like he doesn't need to be this stud he's got.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: We just talked a lot about Kyle Tucker, Saya. Sazuki's
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: a very good offensive player. He has very consistent danceby
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: Swanson looks like a different player after cour surgery in
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: the offseason.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: Nico Horner healthy as well.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: Like that they have these veterans that are consistent presences
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: in the lineup. Michael Bush looks like he's ready to
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: do either match last year or maybe even take a
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: little step above. Miguel Amaya looks so much better than
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: he did the first half of last year. So they
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: are all these guys that you can point to and say, Okay,
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: here are here are other players that can carry the
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: team or step up on a given day. You're not
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: the one that that has to deliver. Just go out
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: there and play your game, right And he I think
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: he was putting a little bit too much pressure on
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: himself in Japan. He's admitted as much he wasn't being himself.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Now he can just go out there and just try
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: and just try and do what you've always done. He's
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: never failed at the professional level, right, So he knows
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: what success feels like. I think it's so much harder
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: in the big leagues. We all understand that. I think
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: he has the right mentality. I think he has the
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: right skill set. I think he's gonna be okay. I'm like,
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: I don't want to suggest that he can have a
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: Jackson Curio like second half, because Jackson Curio was a
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: top five prospect and has always been looked at ever since.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: He kind of popped onto the prospect scene as like
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: a potential MVP candidate. I'm not sure if Matt Shaw's
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: at that level, but I do think he can be
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: like a very good, above average all star on occasion
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: type offensive player. And you know what, he has not
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: looked like. He's a he's a detriment defensively. That's where
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: I had my big most questions, and he's not. He's
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: not a mess out there. He makes all the easy plays,
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: he makes difficult plays.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: He looks pretty good.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: At third base, frankly, and if he can continue to
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: improve there, he's not going to be an issue at all.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Really unorthodox stance and everything, and I think the first
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: couple of games, fans were freaking out about that, thinking
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: that wouldn't work.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: I don't think it. You know, we've seen plenty of
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: weird stances or whatever it may be.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: Whatever works for you works, and I think I think
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: he's going to be fine.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: And I do agree.
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: I think he has that kind of leash and leeway
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: and he doesn't have a ton of pressure on him.
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah that's true. Hey, great combo with you side. I've
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: got a jump, but we'll see you on North Side Territory.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Thanks so much, and thanks for listening to my dogs.
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Yes they were great. Okay, they'll have their
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: own territory at some point in Sada and Patrick on
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: North Side Territory. Get it wherever you get your pots
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: and on YouTube.