With Kyle Tucker in the fold, the Cubs should look to the Yankees as a cautionary tale

It's all sunshine and rainbows now for the Chicago Cubs as they bask in the glory of acquiring one of the best players in baseball who is excited about joining an iconic franchise. Tucker is an absolute superstar-caliber player who seemed to reach even new heights in his injury-shortened 2024 campaign as his performance in half the season was worth more than what any individual Cub produced over the entirety of 2024.

While you rightfully celebrate the addition of a true star who, entering his age-28 season, is just beginning his prime, understand that Tucker is a free agent after the 2025 season and look East to the Bronx for a cautionary tale.

When the New York Yankees acquired Juan Soto in a trade last season, they believed they had added their next foundational star. They were going to sell him on winning multiple World Series for an iconic franchise, going down as a legendary figure in their lore while backing up a Brinks truck to secure his services for the long haul.

After a World Series appearance, Soto bolted from the Bronx leaving the Yankees eyeing the vastly inferior Cody Bellinger to fill the Soto-sized hole in their lineup. If the Cubs don't play this right, they may find themselves in a similar position next offseason.

The Cubs are going to have to spend money if they truly want to contend

A team doesn't acquire a talent like Tucker without the idea of truly making a run at the ultimate prize. Yet for far too long, Hoyer and the Cubs' brass have pinched pennies while hugging prospects leading to what has felt like a never-ending cycle of purgatory.

After back-to-back 83-win seasons, Tucker's addition assures that the Cubs will be better in 2025, barring injury. How much better is the question? There are likely more moves coming. A Bellinger trade seems imminent. The Cubs have been linked to starting pitching upgrades in the forms of Luis Castillo or Jesus Luzardo. They'll likely explore adding another infielder with Paredes going to Houston and Hoerner trade rumors heating up.

This is progress, however the Cubs seem content to stay under the luxury tax for 2025, after inexplicably exceeding it last season. Resetting the tax to avoid paying the repeater penalty for a year is fine, but at some point, the Cubs will have to spend.

To get to the World Series the road will pass through Queens and Los Angeles. The Mets and Dodgers treat luxury tax penalties like loose change you lose in your sofa.

At the outset of free agency, most analysts predicted Soto would get a deal in the neighborhood of $600 million. He ended up taking home $765 million. While Tucker is a couple of years older and not quite in the same tier as Soto, that deal certainly sent a clear signal that he can get more than previously expected if he elects to test free agency next winter.

At that point, the question becomes when will Hoyer finally open up the checkbook. As Patrick Mooney pointed out in the Athletic, "one all-in move doesn't necessarily guarantee another," as he details how Hoyer refused to be pinned down on when the Cubs will actually spend while speaking with reporters at the Winter Meetings prior to finalizing the Tucker trade.

The path forward for the Cubs is clear. Use the Tucker trade as a springboard to continue to build out the core of a contending roster. Get a bad salary off the books in 2025 and reset the tax. In 2026, make Kyle Tucker a very rich man and continue to spend to build around him to make a true run.

Adding Tucker for 2025 is exciting, but if he turns out to be simply a one-year rental, Cubs' fans should be livid, and with the way the team has operated in recent years that is unfortunately a real possibility.