Kyle Tucker was sidelined for weeks due to his calf injury, which left the Cubs without their most reliable bat. While the star has been grinding through rehab in Florida and awaiting clearance to return, the timing could not have been tougher. Tucker is a proven star with postseason experience who now finds himself overshadowed at the exact moment the Cubs have surged, and it is a twist that adds sting to Tucker’s absence.

Tucker got a shock when The Athletic revealed its pick for the team MVP. Instead of the career .867 OPS holder star, the Cubs’ 24-year-old rookie pitcher earned the honor. Cade Horton is not just beating out Kyle Tucker but also Pete Crow-Armstrong. “When you have Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker on your team, you’d have to do something seriously special to be named Team MVP over them, and that’s exactly what Horton has done, particularly post-All-Star break,” said Johnny Flores Jr.

Since July 20, Cade Horton has been on a historic tear. Over 11 starts, the star has gone 8–1 with a 0.93 ERA, and he has allowed no more than two runs in any outing. Such a dominance has carried the team’s rotation, affected by injuries to Justin Steele and uneven stretches from Shota Imanaga, and it also makes Cade Horton an unexpected ace of a playoff-bound staff. With the Cubs at 88–68 and going with a good push, Horton’s situation for MVP has become impossible to ignore.

For Tucker’s fans questioning the choice, it is worth highlighting that Horton’s value has not only come in the second half. In his first eight starts, the star posted an elite 3.73 ERA across 41 innings, with the team winning six of those games. Horton’s capability to keep the team competitive early and then elevate into dominance post-break has made him indispensable.

However, without Tucker, the team has faced a noticeable hole in the lineup. The former Astros star has not played since September 2, and his return date remains uncertain, with Craig Counsell admitting Tucker is “unlikely” to be activated for Tuesday’s game against the Mets.

That surprise decision establishes the tone for what has become an eventful September for the Cubs, where big-picture roster concerns are beginning to swirl just as the playoff chase heats up.

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Cubs projected to move on from trade deadline pickup Willi Castro

A vital and pressing offseason topic now circles around Willi Castro, acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline. While the versatile utility man’s defensive flexibility initially placed him in an intriguing place in the team, Willi Castro’s offensive performance has been far from elite. In 31 games with the Cubs, the star has hit just .172 with a .252 on-base percentage, managing only 16 total hits and a -0.4 bWAR. For a star who carried a .743 OPS with the Twins before the trade, such a drop-off has been drastic and hard to overlook.

The Cubs, led by Jed Hoyer, are now facing the reality that Castro could not fit into the team’s long-period plans. Reports highlight that re-signing Willi Castro is not viewed as a priority, specifically, with more vital roster decisions looming around larger stars like Kyle Tucker. As tough as it can be to admit defeat on a deadline acquisition, Willi Castro’s declining effect has made it clear that the Cubs are better served investing resources elsewhere.

The Cubs could be riding momentum into October; however, tough choices await after the postseason. Kyle Tucker’s uncertain future and Willi Castro’s issues highlight just how some roster evaluations Jed Hoyer needs to navigate this winter. For the Cubs, the focus will be on maximizing performance, not sentiment.