Chicago Cubs might not have to sign Kyler Tucker for $500 million after all

The Chicago Cubs front office had to sweat a little seeing the Toronto Blue Jays extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year deal worth $500 million. The deal came amid the Cubs’ worry with right fielder Kyle Tucker who they traded for in the offseason.

Tucker is in the final year of his contract, and Chicago would prefer for the star not to be a one-year loaner. However, he’s playing his way toward half a billion, batting .284/.393/.560 with nine home runs and 30 RBI.

$500 million could be too rich for a Cubs team that still wants to spend on other areas of the roster to field a competitor with Tucker. Chicago is already having to consider giving Pete Crow-Armstrong $200 million in the winter.

Kyle Tucker should be in the $400-500 million range

ESPN’s Jeff Passan argues that while Tucker is a better ball player than Guerrero, Tucker’s age (29) versus Guerrero’s (26) could keep his price down in the offseason. Passan thinks Tucker will likely receive at least $400 million.

“This one was tough,” Passan wrote as to what Tucker’s pay range should be after the season. “Nobody doubts Tucker’s talent as a player. The combination of other elements — a potential lockout after the 2026 season changing the game’s finances, the presence of big-revenue teams that could choose to avoid a deal the magnitude of which Tucker will rightly seek — simply makes it a challenge to predict whether he’ll land here or in the previous tier.

“On Tucker’s side are the comparables. He is a better player than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whom the Blue Jays gave $500 million. He’ll play all of next year at 29. He’s one of baseball’s best power-speed combinations. Everything is there for Tucker to exceed $400 million. Surging past $500 million could be tough, but then no one anticipated Soto getting $765 million, either.”

Chicago Cubs want to spend efficiently

While the Cubs have the resources to pay $700 million to Crow-Armstrong and Tucker, that isn’t likely to happen. President Jed Hoyer has been adamant that Chicago wants to spend money efficiently, and paying Tucker $500 million would take away too much from the budget for other positions.

But if the Cubs won’t pay it, another team might if Tucker continues to make a strong impact on the offense in October.

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