Kyle Tucker is 'open to anything' as he joins the Cubs

Kyle Tucker was busy dealing with groomsman activities when he got the word that he’d been traded to the Chicago Cubs.

As he was trying to celebrate his former teammate Myles Straw’s wedding in Bradenton, Florida, he also had to field some calls about his move to the North Side of Chicago.

It was certainly unusual timing to find out his career path had just taken a big turn. However, the trade didn’t come as a complete shock to him.

“I see some of the trade rumors, just on the internet and whatnot, for however real they are,” Tucker said while be introduced to local media (via Zoom) Tuesday afternoon. “So, I kind of knew it was somewhat of a possibility. You never know if it’s actually going to happen or not in baseball or any sports until it’s actually done. … Kind of funny how that was all working out, but obviously, ended up on the Cubs now, and I’m excited to start my career with them.”

This was a move that was in the works prior to last week, though, before rumors really heated up during the Winter Meetings in Dallas.

Cubs president of baseball Jed Hoyer, who also spoke to the media Tuesday, said he started talking to Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown soon after the GM Meetings last month in San Antonio. It was then that Brown told him Tucker could be available this winter, as he enters his final year of club control.

Hoyer has been asked numerous times about the need for the Cubs to add a “star” to the roster. And though he’s shied away from using that term, exactly, when he learned Tucker (a three-time All-Star) could be had, he decided to go in this direction.

“That was the kind of player that we felt like we were lacking and we obviously wanted to go after,” Hoyer said. “… [The media] asked me a lot of questions about our roster and how it’s constructed. We have a lot of really good players on the team, we’re very balanced, but it did feel like we lacked that kind of consolidation of WAR [Wins Above Replacement], I would say, on our roster in one player.

“Obviously, Tucker is one of the best players in baseball, period. Obviously, to acquire a player like that, it comes at a real price, but it’s a price we were willing to pay, given the fact that that was something we felt all summer that we lacked and something we really wanted to bring to this team.”

The Winter Meetings helped the two sides inch closer to a deal, leading up to the move becoming official Friday.

The immediate reaction in the Cubs’ fanbase seemed to be joy that they finally landed an elite player to put in the middle of the lineup. After back-to-back 83-win, postseason-less seasons, Tucker is a massive addition to a roster looking to get back to playing into October in 2025. Fans were rightfully excited to learn a “star” was coming to town.

Of course, it didn’t take too long before thoughts turned to his club-control situation.

Tucker is eligible for free agency next offseason. That could mean the Cubs traded a strong three-player package for only one season of the soon-to-be 28-year-old. As for what he could get on the market, after the $765 million contract Juan Soto received from the New York Mets, The Athletic recently noted he “figures to command a contract of at least $400 million to $500 million.”

Perhaps a potential number that high would make him more likely to test free agency next year. It’s also out of the Cubs’ comfort zone, historically, given the largest contract (by total value) they’ve given out is $184 million. It’s not unfair for fans to worry Tucker could be gone a year from now.

Except, it doesn’t seem he’s his mind made up yet.

“I’m open to anything,” he said. “Whether that’s now or later, kind of just see how it goes. But in terms of contracts or anything, I feel like as long as I go out and do my job out on the field, that stuff will kind of take care of itself. My job is not to worry about all that. It’s to go out there, perform, put up numbers and try and win games, get to the playoffs and win a World Series.

“Kind of how I do things is just, the rest will take care of itself. If you have your numbers and whatnot, you can deal with the rest. But like I said, I’m open to anything and everything. I feel like there’s no harm in just listening and having some talks back and forth and see where they lead.”

Though Hoyer declined to comment on any actual extension talks, when asked if he’d have interest in engaging with Tucker’s camp in those conversations, he noted, “You want players like Kyle Tucker for a long time. There’s no question.”

“He’s at such an elite level in our game,” Hoyer added. “[Is the public] ever going to know if we’re having extension talks? No, so I wouldn’t comment on it. But of course, when you acquire a player like that, you want to have that player for a long time. I think that, certainly, there will be contact with his agents. We’ll have discussions. We’ll keep those internal. But yeah, I think that you always kind of look at it that way. You want good players for a long time.”

Asked whether he believes he’ll have the resources to make Tucker a competitive offer if things go well in 2025, Hoyer declined to speculate. But one of the benefits of bringing him in now is they essentially have an exclusive recruiting window to convince him to remain a Cub past 2025.

Had they waited until next year, if he ultimately were to enter free agency, it would’ve come down to recruiting him with a video presentation and things like that. By trading for him now and having him around next season, they don’t have to sell him on what the experience at Wrigley Field and playing for the Cubs could be like. He’ll already know what it’s like, because he’d already gotten to experience it.

That might not ultimately matter if Tucker wants to test the market next year. Money will likely factor in, too, and it’s unclear how high the Cubs would be willing to go in that realm.

It would be disappointing for them to see Tucker walk after just one year, especially considering what they traded away to acquire him. But again, they have a full season to recruit him. They have a full season to sell him on the Cubs experience.

Yes, he could leave after a year, but this is a move that not only could help the Cubs win next season — it could potentially be the one that found them a “star,” one this team has needed, who might just stick around long term.

“It’s very difficult to acquire players of this caliber,” Hoyer said. “They’re not available often. So, I think getting a chance to bring him in, obviously, we have him under control for one year. I don’t know what the future holds, but obviously, Chicago sells itself really well. I’m excited to bring him in for this year, and we’ll see where it goes beyond that.”

“I’m always open to talks and see where that leads,” Tucker said. “I’m always open to that. You never know what the future’s going to hold. But in terms of that, kind of just see how things progress throughout the next however long and see where it leads us.

“I’m always open for talks or negotiations and just kind of seeing where that leads. But definitely, Chicago’s a great city to play in, great city in general. So, I’m open for anything.”

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