The Chicago Cubs sit in first place in the National League Central division after a fairly drastic winter.
Following a fourth-straight season without a playoff berth, the Cubs’ front office made headlines by trading away Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees and bringing in Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.
Tucker has rewarded that decision with a Most Valuable Player Award caliber start to 2025, slashing .288/.397/.568 with seven homers and 26 RBI so far. But betting on Tucker was a surprising move for the franchise, as he’s in his final year of arbitration eligibility before a chance to become the most coveted available free agent in all of baseball.
Tucker’s stellar start has pushed the Cubs up in the standings, but it’s also raising the cost of keeping him long term. On Sunday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provided an eye-opening update on his projected price tag.
“No one has made more money this first month of the season than Tucker, whose free-agent value has skyrocketed from $300 million to perhaps more than $500 million,” Nightengale wrote.
Shortly following that contract projection, it seems the Cubs have made a decision about Tucker as their franchise cornerstone. During a recent episode of the “Cubs REKAP Podcast,” Cubs radio host David Kaplan reported the team is determined to lock Tucker in, no matter the cost.
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“I’m hearing that the Cubs have wrapped their brain around — now, it doesn’t mean he’ll accept it — have wrapped their brain around, ‘Whatever it costs, we’re paying it,’” Kaplan said. “And they want to keep Tucker.”
It seems that after giving up some controllable talent to land Tucker for 2025, the Cubs have a plan to make him the long-term face of the franchise. Even though that won’t come cheap.
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