Cubs ace Justin Steele makes feelings known on Kyle Tucker joining the team

The Chicago Cubs traded for outfielder Kyle Tucker in December, and starting pitcher Justin Steele recently shared his excitement to have him as a teammate. The 27-year-old has entered the last year of his contract and is set to become a free agent at the end of 2025.

On Monday's "North Side Territory" episode, Steele gave his thoughts on Tucker.

"Anytime you add a bat like Kyle Tucker to the team, in the lineup, even the way he plays defense is incredible," Steele said (2:47). "I played a ton against him in High-A... and just remember thinking this guy is going to be a stud.

"He's still young, great left-handed swing, plays defence really hard... He's only gotten better every single year. He's a fun player to watch and I'm excited to get around him."

The Cubs ace also explained how Tucker's addition to the lineup helps him as a pitcher.

"It's hard to say that we wouldn't be scoring more runs with him in the lineup," Steele said (6:43). "I would say, if we're in the beginning stages of a baseball game, one through the first three innings, and say we already have one to five runs on the board, just as a pitcher you just can go out there and just throw strikes... when you're pitching with a lead, you're pitching a completely different game.

"That's my initial thought, that's very comforting. And then you look at how good he plays defence, you hear about how good of a teammate he is, the camraderie it's going to bring to the clubhouse. I'm really excited about it."

Kyle Tucker is an elite outfielder who has established himself as one of the best players in the majors at a young age. Over the last eight years, he has had three All-Star seasons and won the World Series once.

Having moved to the Cubs this winter, it is a surprise to hear Justin Steele's thoughts on his arrival. It is a promising addition to a lineup that already boasts plenty of talent.

MLB analyst downplays Kyle Tucker heading to arbitration with the Cubs

Having acquired Kyle Tucker in a trade from the Houston Astros, the Chicago Cubs have yet to reach a long-term agreement with the outfielder. As he heads into salary arbitration, MLB analyst Bruce Devine claimed it is not a big deal and both parties will reach an agreement soon.

"It's not a big problem. This goes on all the time," Devine said Friday.

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Tucker asked for $17.5 million while the Cubs came in at $15 million. It remains to be seen if this disagreement will play a part in his long-term future with the club.