CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was sure of one thing. The team was at its best when Kyle Tucker was at his best.

Whether they'll be together next season remains to be seen. Tucker, after all, is set to become a free agent, and he will be arguably the top player on the market.

“Everyone can use a guy like Kyle Tucker,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “Everyone gets better by having a player like that. We'll certainly be having those conversations.”

The offseason trade that reeled in Tucker from Houston played a big role in propelling the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time in five years. So did Pete Crow-Armstrong's emergence as an All-Star as well as big seasons from sluggers Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki.

With an elite defense and solid pitching, Chicago

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