One of the big questions heading into Spring Training for the Chicago Cubs will be can they extend their new found superstar Kyle Tucker before he hits free agency?
The Chicago Cubs needed to go out and acquire a superstar this off season and they did just that when they acquired Gold Glover Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros. Since Tuckers acquisition the question on every Cubs fans mind has been “will the Chicago Cubs give Kyle Tucker a contract extension before he hits free agency?” In a recent article published in Bleed Cubbie Blue AI Yellon predicts that the Chicago Cubs will sign Kyle Tucker to an eight-year $340 million deal.
Why extending Kyle Tucker is so important
The main reason the Cubs need to extend Kyle Tucker before he hits free agency after this season is they need a superstar player to build around. Kyle Tucker has established himself as not only one of the best outfielders in the game but one of the best players period.
Finishing in the MVP voting three times so far in his career each time moving up in the voting with his highest finish so far coming in 2023 in which he finished in fifth place. If it weren’t for an injury that derailed what could’ve been his MVP clinching season, a healthy Kyle Tucker in 2025 could certainly win the National League MVP.
For his career Tucker is a .274/.353/.515 hitter with an OPS and OPS+ of .870 and 139.
With the Cubs having so many young players on their way up to the Major Leagues, having a veteran star in Kyle Tucker leading the way and setting the example for the young guys is what they need. Especially for young centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong who needs to have a big season for the Cubs with them trading away outfielder Cody Bellinger showing an extreme amount of confidence in Pete Crow-Armstrong.
What is Kyle Tuckers market?
Kyle Tucker is currently on a one-year deal worth $16.7 million according to Sportrac. On the open market Spotrac lists Tucker getting somewhere around eight-years $221.5 million for an average annual value of $27.675 million. In my estimation that is a rather low-ball type of estimate for the market to for such a star player such as Kyle Tucker. I have been estimating that Kyle Tucker for his contract extension with sign a deal similar to that of either Bryce Harper or Mike Trout. Given Tucker is hitting the free agent market at just 28-years-old and seeing what Juan Soto just got from the New York Mets a deal similar to Harper or Trout is warranted.
The Chicago Cubs have the money to get a contract extension for that price available especially since they got off of Cody Bellinger’s $27.5 million contract for this year and possibly another $25 million for next year for a total of $52.5 million.
Kyle Tucker is the key to success in 2025 and beyond
For the Chicago Cubs to make the post season this season they will need Kyle Tucker to stay healthy and perform to the MVP type of player he is capable of playing to. Bringing power to a lineup that lacked it last year Tucker figures to be a force in the heart of the lineup with FanGraphs projecting him to bat second behind Ian Happ and in front of Seiya Suzuki. If those three along with Michael Busch can all click for the Chicago Cubs then hopefully if a deal isn’t don’t by spring seeing the amount of success the Chicago Cubs could have may intrigue Tucker to stick around.
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