The Chicago Cubs played no games this past offseason. In December, the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade from the Houston Astros. In exchange, the Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, prospect Cam Smith, and pitcher Hayden Wesneski to Houston to bring in Tucker and add a certified All-Star to the roster.
Since then, the Cubs have been hopeful that they can keep Tucker long-term, especially considering the heavy price they paid for him. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that Tucker could be worth $500 million on a new deal, so it won’t be cheap for the Cubs.
Now, ESPN radio host David Kaplan gave a new update on the team’s mindset as far as the Tucker conversations go.
“I’m hearing that the Cubs have wrapped their brain around, doesn’t mean he’ll accept it, wrapped their brain around whatever it costs we’re paying it and they want to keep Tucker, that’s what I’m hearing,” Kaplan said via the Cubs Rekap podcast.
Tucker has been off to a strong start since coming to the Windy City. Entering April 29, Tucker has a .289 batting average with seven home runs and 25 RBI with 25 runs scored. Moreover, the team is 17-12 and an early contender in the National League Central, so keeping Tucker for the foreseeable future figures to be an important priority.
Other reports stated that there is a chance Tucker signs the deal before hitting free agency, which MLB insider Jon Heyman said is a “rare” situation.
“At this point, in fact, there’s no evidence they’ve begun talks. But they are expected to talk with Kyle Tucker. Not a shocker there, although it’s very unusual to get a deal done in a walk year for this level player. And this is a superstar-level player. It’s only happened a few times, where a guy has gone to a new team and signed an extension with months to go before free agency,” Heyman reported.
So, things are fluid on the Tucker sweepstakes front, but the latest intel suggests there is hope.
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