The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired new ownership this season, led by Patrick Zalupski, who plans to make the team a true contender. Their first order of business needs to be getting a star hitter to rally the team around.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller believes the first splash of the Zalupski era will be acquiring Tampa Bay native and current Chicago Cub Kyle Tucker.
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"The Rays are ever the unlikely candidate to spend aggressively. But The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal speculated in July that Tucker—born and raised in Tampa—could be the major splash the Patrick Zalupski-led new ownership tries to make, on par with when Steve Cohen traded for Francisco Lindor and gave him a $341 million contract within six months of buying the Mets. And after a 2025 season in which Rays outfielders hit fewer home runs than every other team, Tucker would certainly fill a need,” Miller wrote.
This season, Tucker slashed .266/.377/.464/.841 with 25 doubles, 22 homers, and 73 RBI in 136 games played. He’s durable, and he brings pop to the outfield. The Rays, while not big spenders, do have the money for a contract for Tucker. It’s also possible he may take a lower contract due to the fact that he’d be returning home.
Tucker could be the feared bat in a lineup that’s good at contact, but not necessarily going out of the park. Tucker could see his RBIs soar with the number of runners that get on base for him, making it easy to knock them in.
Hopefully, the Rays actually pursue Tucker, as it could set a precedent for small-market teams to spend like the big dogs. And it would be a nice homecoming, as well as a step in the right direction for becoming contenders.
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