The Chicago Cubs took a huge risk by acquiring outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros last offseason. Tucker sits on an expiring contract and is bound to be the top free agent on the market, with some outlets predicting he’ll sign for north of $450 million in free agency.
Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy recently suggested the Cubs would be one of the top fits for Tucker in free agency, which makes plenty of sense considering they’re his incumbent team.
“This one is pretty obvious. Tucker is the jewel of this year’s free agent class. Spotrac currently is projecting his market value to be over $500 million across 12 years,” McAvoy wrote. “That makes sense. He’s just 28 years old and is the type of bat you build an entire lineup around.
“He’s older than Juan Soto so he surely will get less than the mammoth of a deal he got last offseason, but he is similarly impactful in the lineup when fully healthy. The Cubs gave up a haul to get Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros. He has fit their lineup well and is one of the reasons for Chicago’s turnaround this year.”
The Cubs make sense as a fit, but it’s going to be interesting to see how much money they’re willing to offer Tucker in free agency. Chicago has never given out a deal close to the $400 million or $500 million that Tucker is projected.
If the Cubs are willing to come close to the top offer, they should be Tucker’s team for the foreseeable future. But the Cubs might not be willing to do so. It’ll be interesting to see how this sweepstakes plays out.