(670 The Score) When the Cubs acquired star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros on Dec. 13, the tenor changed for the franchise.
Following four straight seasons without a playoff berth, the Cubs made a bold move for 2025. They put chips at the center of the table in the 28-year-old Tucker’s final year under contract.
Whether the Cubs can secure him on a long-term contract isn't clear, nor is that the focus during a season with such great urgency. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer certainly feels that. Like Tucker, he’s in his final year under contract. As Tucker is playing for a major contract, Hoyer is banking on a playoff run to earn his way back.
Entering their off day Monday, the NL Central-leading Cubs sat at 49-35 after a 3-4 road trip in St. Louis and Houston. They went 13-13 during a challenging month of June. A division lead that was 6.5 games on the morning of June 18 is down to just two games. The Brewers, Cardinals and Reds are on the Cubs’ heels.
Dating back to May 5, the Cubs have won just two series against teams that presently owns a winning record. Those both came against the Reds (44-40), who are 15-10 in June.
The Cubs are treading water these days. While they're in first place and their pitching staff has been hurt by injuries to ace Shota Imanaga, left-hander Justin Steele (out for the season after elbow surgery) and right-hander Javier Assad, this team should be held to the highest standard in 2025.
The Cubs aren't good enough yet to feel confident in accomplishing their hope of winning the World Series.
The Cubs have flaws that need to be addressed. They've gotten a .555 OPS out of the third base position this season after the club came up short in its pursuit of star Alex Bregman in free agency. The Cubs' starting rotation has a 4.30 ERA that ranks 23rd in MLB. The bullpen has performed great for the past two months but could still use depth, as could the bench.
That the Cubs are 14 games over .500 is a credit to a high-scoring offense powered by Tucker, emerging star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and timely contributions from many others.
Baseball Reference projects the Cubs with a 92.6% chance to reach the playoffs and a bullish 12.6% chance to win the World Series. Fangraphs gives them an 83% chance to reach the postseason and 4.9% shot of winning the championship.
Now is the time for the Cubs to get greedy. Just reaching the playoffs shouldn’t be acceptable for a team that’s good enough to win the championship with a few tweaks.
Hoyer has until the trade deadline on July 31 to round out his roster with the right additions. The Cubs need another front-line starter for their rotation and a back-end arm for their bullpen. They need a power-hitting third baseman – hello, Eugenio Suarez? – and bench depth. It’s a seller’s market, but the Cubs boast the prospect capital to outbid other buyers.
Once those holes are filled, the Cubs can truly view themselves as a World Series contender. It’s OK to be unsatisfied, even for a team that’s played such good baseball.
The immediate goal is to win the division and gain one of the National League's top two seeds. In doing so, that would secure a bye through the wild-card round, which features dangerous teams playing best-of-three series.
Beyond that, the Cubs can't simply hope they get hot in October. They should turn over every stone to ensure the odds are in their favor. This is the onus on Hoyer in a season that will define his own future. It’s the expectation that was set by acquiring Tucker in a one-year window.
Opportunity is knocking for the Cubs, who can win a championship this season. That’s the standard in place.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.