The Chicago Cubs made one of the most aggressive moves in baseball this offseason with the trade for Kyle Tucker. While the real has done wonders for the Cubs lineup in 2025, there are growing concerns regarding how long he’ll be sticking around.
According to Fansided MLB insider Robert Murray, Tucker isn’t even discussing a contract extension with the Cubs right now. While the possibility exists the two sides might revisit negotiations this summer, Murray writes that ‘all signs point toward’ Tucker becoming a free agent.
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- Kyle Tucker contract (Spotrac): $16.5 million salary in 2025, MLB free agent in 2026
The 28-year-old outfielder is poised to be one of the best MLB free agents this winter. Entering his age-28 season, the left-handed hitter ranked seventh in OPS (.921) and wRC+ (153) from 2022-’24. Over his last two seasons with 100-plus games played, he’s averaged over 30 home runs with 55 combined steals.
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- Kyle Tucker stats (ESPN): .318/.419/.636, 1.055 OPS, 6 home runs, 21 RBI, 4 steals, 8 doubles
Even at the time of the trade with the Houston Astros, many believed Chicago sacrificed a lot to acquire Tucker. The Cubs sent right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski, third baseman Isaac Paredes and top prospect Cam Smith to the Astros in exchange for one full season of Tucker.
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Entering MLB games today, Paredes has been off to a relatively slow start with a .222/.333/.361 triple-slash line through his first 72 at-bats. Smith, who lit it up in spring training, has the second-highest OPS (.745) in the Astros lineup right now and is viewed by the organization as a future All-Star.
The Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract extension complicated things further for Chicago. Tucker has been the better hitter over the last three full seasons and he provides considerably more defensive value as a base runner than Guerrero Jr. Given the Toronto Blue Jays’ star received a $500 million contract extension, Tucker will likely make even more if he hits MLB free agency this winter.
