Subscribe
Follow Us
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a massive $500 million contract on Sunday night. This deal keeps Guerrero off the free agency market this winter. And one player who benefits from this is Chicago Cubs star Kyle Tucker.
The Cubs traded for Tucker this past winter in a deal with the Houston Astros. Chicago hopes his impact bat propels them to the postseason. The Cubs have won 83 games in each of the last two seasons. At this point, the playoffs are the next step.
However, Chicago may only have the star outfielder for one season. Tucker is in a contract year, meaning he will hit free agency this winter. With Guerrero off the market, Tucker is likely to command more money if he has success in 2025. For now, the Cubs star is focused on what's ahead for him this season.
“It’s what he wanted to do,” Tucker said of Guerrero's extension on Monday, via MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. “I’m sure he loves playing in Toronto and everything, so that’s great for him. But everyone’s a little different. Right now, I’m here to play this year and play for the Cubs.”
Confounding this situation is the status of general manager Jed Hoyer. Hoyer is also in a contract year, putting pressure on him to deliver. It's unclear if there are any concrete extension talks with Tucker at this time. However, the Cubs certainly want to keep him around.
“He’s a great player — that’s why we traded for him. Clearly he’s the kind of player you want to build a lineup around, build a team around. I think any conversations we have with him, we’ll keep internal,” Hoyer said, via Bastian.
Tucker has hit the ground running on the North side of Chicago. He has five home runs, 16 RBI, and a slash line of .327/.453/.712 in 13 games. The Cubs star can continue his impressive start on Tuesday when Chicago continues its three-game set with the Texas Rangers.
