Kyle Tucker’s Silver Slugger nom could drive his wild asking price through the roof

Chicago Cubs All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker was revealed as one of the finalists for the National League Silver Slugger award. Tucker, along with Pete Crow-Armstrong, is nominated among National League Outfielders, but for the 28-year-old veteran, it's a reminder that there still may be a lucrative payday waiting for him this offseason.

For as much controversy and awkwardness that surrounded the final two months of what likely was Tucker's only season with the Cubs, the Silver Slugger nomination is a reminder of how excellent he was during the first half of the season.

Tucker slashed .280/.384/.499 during the opening months of the season with a 145 wRC+ and 17 home runs. With his free agency being at the center of every conversation involving the Cubs' decisions during the season, the initial returns saw the former first-round pick's contract projections soar to $600MM

Things took a dramatic turn during the second half of the season, when Tucker slashed .231/.360/.378 during his final 174 plate appearances with a wRC+ of 115 and 5 home runs. Tucker was still getting his walks, but the power completely disappeared from his approach, and that may have been tied to a pair of injuries he attempted to play through.

Adding in how Tucker looked during the playoffs, being forced to serve as a designated hitter and looking uncomfortable, the impression entering the offseason was that the All-Star's price tag may have significantly dropped. It was no longer a question of whether Tucker would receive $600MM; instead, there has been some recent debate as to whether Tucker's next contract will even break the $300MM threshold.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman isn't entertaining such a debate, doubling down on his recent report of the Dodgers' interest, suggesting that Tucker could command $400MM on the open market this winter.

Silver Slugger buzz might prove Kyle Tucker’s free agency value is no joke

With the Silver Slugger finalists determined by managers and their coaching staffs, it's a reminder that Tucker is still viewed across baseball as one of the best hitters in the game. For all the talk that his second-half struggles and availability concerns may have an impact on his free agency, the impression is that teams will overlook that because of the production he has when he is truly healthy.

All it takes is for one team to provide validation of that reality, and it almost certainly won't be the Cubs. For better or worse, it seems that Jed Hoyer and Co. are content with being one-and-done with the superstar they aggressively pursued last offseason.