Justin Steele’s injury only heightens the importance of a Kyle Tucker extension

What a week, eh? We got Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker extension rumors - and the news that Justin Steele's 2025 season is over. The Chicago Cubs took two of three from the Dodgers in Los Angeles, but there are so many balls in the air right now it's hard to appreciate even a performance as commanding as we saw this weekend.

These extension reports and the news the Cubs would be without Steele for the rest of the year are more interlinked than you might initially think.

A Tucker extension, in particular, could open up all kinds of possibilities for the front office to get aggressive on an in-season blockbuster to shore up the rotation. Assuming an extension, that means the Cubs have at least two-thirds of their starting outfield under control through 2030 regardless of whether or not they can get a deal done with PCA.

That could help president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer feel more comfortable trading multiple top prospects, especially guys like Owen Caissie (#50 on MLB Pipeline top 100), James Triantos (69 ) or Kevin Alcantara (86) in a move for an ace to slot in alongside Shota Imanaga.

Some of the names connected to the Cubs in offseason trade rumors like Dylan Cease and Michael King seem unlikely to get traded in the immediate future given the Padres' impressive start to the season (13-3, first place in the NL West).

But that doesn't mean Hoyer couldn't entice the front office of a team like the Marlins, who could command a king's ransom for right-hander and former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, whose deal could keep him under team control through 2027.

It's easier to entertain trading multiple top-100 outfield prospects when you have a superstar like Tucker locked up for the next decade - even more so with Crow-Armstrong under team control for 5+ years on his rookie contract. There's so much riding on the 2025 season in Wrigleyville that it feels unthinkable Hoyer won't make a move to replace Steele. But could he flip the script surrounding his tenure, extend one of the game's best player and make a massive trade in a matter of months?

I guess we'll all find out soon enough.