Jack’s Take: Pressure On Chicago Cubs To Extend Kyle Tucker

CHICAGO – Isn’t this who the Cubs have been missing? For a while now?

Ever since trading the 2016 World Series core — moves that were questionable at the time but now look like smart decisions — the Cubs have lacked a true star. Sure, they’ve had All-Stars and Gold Glove winners like Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson, and top-five Cy Young finishers like Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga.

Good players, no doubt, but a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate?

A truly feared hitter with World Series pedigree?

A Gold Glove defender who can steal 30 bases, hit for power and average, and is only 28 years old?

The Cubs simply haven’t had that caliber of player, and it’s a big reason they've won just 83 games in back-to-back seasons and haven't won a playoff game since the 2017 National League Championship Series.

So as Kyle Tucker stepped to the plate Friday for his first Wrigley Field at-bat as a Cub, fans cheered like they would for a slugger who’d won there for years — because that’s what they want him to be.

“It was awesome,” said Tucker, the Cubs’ calm, unassuming superstar of his first Opening Day at Wrigley Field. “I haven’t had Opening Day here yet, so it was pretty cool to be a part of with the whole ceremonies and running out there to a full, packed stadium was pretty cool.”

“Running out there to a full packed stadium was pretty cool.”

Kyle Tucker on his first game at Wrigley Field 🤩 pic.twitter.com/gYuNiEWaIV
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 4, 2025

Tucker flew out to deep center field, drawing an instinctual gasp from many who thought it would end up in the bleachers. In a 3-1 win in the Cubs’ home opener, Tucker went 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. His first hit at Wrigley Field will have to wait at least another day, but it shouldn’t be too long based on his scorching start.

Through 10 games, the right fielder has four home runs, 12 hits, five doubles, 11 RBI, six strikeouts, 10 walks. That equates to a .308 batting average, .449 on-base percentage, .744 slugging percentage and a 1.193 OPS.

A true five-tool player, he’s just what the Cubs need in the middle of the order for years to come.

So what’s the hold up? Tucker is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, and the price tag will be high. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden on Friday guessed Tucker’s new contract could range between $500 million and $650 million.

It would make sense for Tucker to ride out this season with the Cubs and test free agency, where he can evaluate all options on the open market. That is, unless the Cubs offer a deal he can’t refuse during the season.

As expected, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer isn’t revealing his hand on that front.

"Should we count my no comments on this question? See how many we get to in six months?” Hoyer said before Friday’s game. “Obviously he's a great player, that's why we traded for him. I think clearly he's the kind of player you want to build the lineup around, build the team around.”

“I think any conversations we have with him, we'll keep internal. So there's no point in asking all the time, I guess. I know you will. But yeah, like I said, it's a process. Listen, I'm excited. I think he'll learn what Wrigley's all about over the next few months, which I think is really important. There will be nicer days than this that he'll enjoy, but I'm excited to have him and obviously like I said, anyone wants a player like that long term.”

Cubs president Jed Hoyer still not revealing his hand when it comes to Kyle Tucker’s future in Chicago pic.twitter.com/VpwE7XwGZH
— Ryan Herrera (@ryan_a_herrera) April 4, 2025

Pressure is growing on Hoyer and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts to extend Tucker for a few reasons. First and most obvious is because he’s arguably a top five-to-10 hitter in MLB, a strong defender and in the prime of his career.

Tucker played just 78 games last season due to a shin fracture, but he still posted a 4.7 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Swanson and Happ each played at least 149 games last season, but they only managed a team-high 3.9 WAR. Imanaga finished first among Cubs pitchers at 3.0 WAR despite finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

Pressure is also coming from the pieces the Cubs traded away to acquire Tucker. They sent Cam Smith, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, to the Houston Astros, along with infielder Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski.

Smith tore through spring training with four home runs and a 1.130 OPS to somewhat surprisingly make Houston’s Opening Day roster as the No. 57 prospect, per MLB.com. It made sense at the time to deal Smith, given that the Cubs’ top prospect Matt Shaw also plays third base, but Smith has since transitioned to right field with the Astros.

Paredes hit 31 home runs with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 and was an All-Star in 2024 before the Cubs acquired him in exchange for Christopher Morel, Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson. His heavy pull-hitting tendencies should play well in Houston. Wesneski had an up-and-down Cubs tenure and shouldn’t be viewed as a major loss.

Letting a player of Tucker’s stature walk away after one season would also irritate a fan base that’s hungry to win big again and have many questioning whether that can happen under current leadership. Unless they were to reallocate that money toward significant improvements elsewhere on the roster, it may also suggest that the Cubs aren’t hard-set on winning like they should be as a big-market team in a sport without a salary cap. A new contract for Tucker would change that narrative.

The Cubs are in position to control the NL Central and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 with Tucker leading the way. But if they’re going to extend that window, it starts with extending Tucker.