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Cubs Facing Big 'Regret' Ahead of Kyle Tucker Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris M. Licata | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 5:19 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs pulled off one of the stunners of the MLB offseason acquiring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in exchange for infielder Isaac Parades, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prized third base prospect Cam Smith.

MLB.com predicts Tucker will hit second in the batting order behind Ian Happ when the Cubs take the field for their domestic season opener on March 27. But despite the growing on-field excitement for 2025, Chicago's front office still faces a major decision on its new star: Whether they'll sign him to a long-term contract extension.

The 28-year-old Gold Glover is currently playing on a one-year, $16.5 million deal that avoided arbitration in January. Sports contract website Spotrac sets Tucker's market value at $27.9 million annually — or the equivalent of a seven-year, $195 million contract. That would dwarf shortstop Dansby Swanson ($25.2 million) and Happ ($20.3 million) for the club's highest average annual value.

This week, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted "The Biggest Regret Each MLB Team Will Have from 2024-25 Offseason," and for Chicago, it was a potential optics issue:

"Setting themselves up to look cheap if they don't retain Kyle Tucker," Kelly wrote.

"There is a sense this is going to be a one-year arrangement," Kelly expanded. "It's like the Cubs—who play in one of the biggest markets in the sport and have a stadium that's a cash cow because it's a tourist attraction—are a mom-and-pop shop.

"If Tucker has a monster year and then the Cubs aren't willing to pony up to retain him in free agency, the Ricketts family is going to be perceived, probably correctly, as being cheap."

Entering opening week, Chicago has the 12th-highest total payroll allocation ($182.6 million) in Major League Baseball and the eighth-highest active payroll for its 26-man roster ($180.1 million), per Spotrac.

If Tucker were to reach free agency in 2026, he'd be one of the youngest (29) and most attractive hitters on the market, which is set to include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kyle Schwarber, Michael Conforto and Bo Bichette.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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