Shocking Kyle Tucker contract prediction proves Cubs have no chance to re-sign him

Enjoy it while it lasts, folks. The Chicago Cubs pushed their chips in on 2025 when acquiring All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker this winter - despite an industry-wide belief he'll hit free agency at season's end, likely going one-and-done on the North Side.

He's off to a scorching start, tied for the MLB lead in position player bWAR (0.9) and appearing among the league leaders in virtually every offensive category. For years, the Cubs have lacked a true offensive centerpiece and, while wholly unsustainable for 162 games, his 236 OPS+ entering action Saturday does show that he is that type of player.

It's only April - and I encourage everyone to enjoy every minute of the season and not get too far ahead of ourselves. That being said, in Jim Bowden's latest mailbag over at The Athletic (subscription required) his answer to the question: "Is there any remote shot of the Cubs extending Kyle Tucker before the season is over?" caught my eye.

To sum up his answer, Bowden says there's a 'remote chance' - but that feels like reaching to me, especially when you take into account he says he thinks Tucker's next contract will start with a '6' - in other words, $600+ million, which would rank among the biggest contracts in MLB history.

You can hem and haw over whether or not any player is worth that kind of money, but there's no disputing the fact the Cubs could handle a contract like that on the books from a financial standpoint. The biggest hurdle appears to be ownership's approach to roster building and spending; the team ranked near the bottom of the league in payroll in relation to revenue last year - and continues to draw widespread criticism because of it.

Will the Cubs make a real effort to sign Kyle Tucker to a long-term deal?

Calling it a leap going from the richest contract in Cubs history (Jason Heyward's eight-year, $184 million deal prior to the 2016 season) to something in the $600 million range might be the understatement of the century. Chicago hasn't even had a $200 million player - so are they really ready to go to such extraordinary heights, even for a player of Tucker's caliber.

All signs point to the answer being 'no'.

The team continues to point toward a deep farm system and intelligent spending as the ways to win. The only problem is the Cubs aren't winning. They haven't won a postseason game since 2017 or even made the postseason in a full-length season since 2018. Would another October at home on the sidelines change anything besides who calls the shots in the front office?

Nobody knows. But until ownership shows a change in thinking, I'm not betting on seeing Tucker run out to right field in the 2026 Cubs' home opener because it's the longest of long shots - at best.