Outfielder Mike Tuckman (33, Chicago Cubs), who signed a contract with Hanwha in the KBO League last year, was not able to renew the contract after the season. Hanwha also had a scenario in place to renew the contract with Tuckman, but the difference in terms of each other’s thoughts was large.
Tuchman had a batting average of .289, 12 homers,먹튀검증 43 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 144 games last year. It was a shame to throw it away, but there was also criticism that it lacked long hits for a foreign batter. In the end, Hanwha chose to find a new foreign hitter to fill the long hits needed by the team rather than meet Tuchman’s demand. The player who joined like that was Brian O’Grady (31).
However, despite the not-so-bad intentions, the results turned out to be the worst. O’Grady seldom hit the ball, and was eventually kicked out in an embarrassing slump, striking out 40 times in 80 at-bats. He had a batting average of just 0.125 in 22 games for the season. None of the home runs he expected.
On the other hand, Tuchman showed good performance from the exhibition game and finally achieved his dream of re-entering the major leagues. Tuchman, who signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs, was called up in May after a strong demonstration at Triple-A. The performance after the call-up is also excellent. As of the 5th (Korean time), he has a batting average of 0.297 and 4 RBIs in 15 games this season. His slugging percentage drops, but his on-base percentage reaches a whopping 0.438.
For Hanwha, even if they wanted to bring him back now, they were in a situation where they couldn’t. Hanwha fans who witnessed O’Grady’s worst slump may feel sorry for Tuchman’s name. But it’s not just Hanwha fans. New York Yankees fans also miss Tuchman.
Tuchman, who made his major league debut in a Colorado uniform in 2017, transferred to the New York Yankees in 2019 and played for about two and a half years until transferring to San Francisco in 2021. In 141 games for the Yankees, he recorded a batting average of 0.266 and an on-base percentage of 0.353. His OPS was 0.798, which was 14% better than the league average over the period. He was a popular player with fans for his hustle play and solid defense. He was also a player who filled the gap left by Giancarlo Stanton’s injury.
But the Yankees believed that another player could do Tuchman’s job. That’s how Tuchman left the team, and even after he was released from San Francisco, they weren’t considered signing him. But the Yankees have been strangely unanswered in left field since Tuchman left. That’s why I can’t help but feel more sorry for Tuchman, who is doing well for the Cubs.
Yankees fan community Yankees Go Yard spotlighted Tuckman’s performance for the Cubs, noting the club’s outfield history and saying, “Tuckman’s performance with the Cubs’ opportunity is impressive. He already has a 0.6 Win Contribution to Substitute (WAR) in 31 at-bats. That’s higher than Anthony Volpi’s WAR, not to mention the cacophony in the Yankees’ left field failure.”
“Should we have kept Tuchman’s contract after the 2020 season?” he said. “The Yankees believed in Jake Bowers and could have gotten a lot from Willie Calhoun. There may not have been a solution for the Yankees at the time (of position traffic control), but passing this player (Tuchman) at AAAA probably won’t sleep.”
The Yankees have a hole in the outfield, with outfielder Aaron Hicks, whom the team had hoped for, was released early after a sluggish performance, and most of the left fielders’ WAR is close to zero or negative. It’s a pity on this fan site that if Tuchman had been retained, he could have been an option for a major league team, if not necessarily full-time. The history of Tuchman, who is a bit lacking to keep, but a type that would be a waste to throw away, was repeating itself in the Yankees and Hanwha.
