Houston Astros Should Do Whatever It Takes to Extend Tucker

The Houston Astros must do whatever it takes to ensure Kyle Tucker remains within the franchise for the foreseeable future.

Regina Ham | May 19, 2023

Houston Astros Should Do Whatever It Takes to Extend Tucker /

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If Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker was going to hand out an award after his squad swept the Chicago Cubs, there's one man who is the top contender.

Kyle. Tucker.

Bottom of the ninth in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Cubs, Tucker came to the plate with bases loaded. His walk-off single to centerfield propelled the Astros to the come-from-behind victory.

Add that for walk-off of the year contention.

The Golden Glove right-fielder is criminally underrated in MLB in his sixth season with Houston. After losing his arbitration, he earned five million for the 2023 season.

The idea of a long-term deal is key and likely motivation for him.

Part of that is his idea to enter the 30-30 club: 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. In 2022, Tucker was the only guy in Major League Baseball to produce 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

He can produce, something that is incredibly important for the Astros' roster. Currently, he's slugging .275/.354/.44 with six homers and 29 RBIs. He's tied with Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena for the most homers for the club.

Signing him to a long-term deal is what would make Astros general manager Dana Brown happy, team owner Jim Crane isn't entirely on board. They had engaged in off-season talks with Tucker to try and avoid him entering free agency in 2025.

He's a rising star and soon it'll be more than Houston who knows it. The Cubs certainly do after Wednesday night. Tucker is the complete player in baseball: excellent plate skills with speed and defensive acumen.

But to keep him is going to cost dollar dollar bills. For a guy of Tucker's age and skill set, a contract extension in 2023 would likely have to exceed $200 million or at least come quite close to it.

It would be in Houston's best interest to get a deal done sooner rather than later. But that would need Crane to be less stingy with contracts. For the betterment of the squad, Tucker should be his main priority.

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Published May 19, 2023

REGINA HAM

Regina Ham is an editor and writer for Inside the Astros. As an alumna of the University of Maryland-College Park, she studied both broadcast and multimedia journalism. A six-year veteran of the sports industry, she's worked in radio, television, and online media. You can follow her on Twitter @regina_ham or Instagram @reginamariesports. Upon her undergraduate education, Regina went to work in 2016 for Sirius XM-Satellite Radio on College Sports Nation/ESPNU for two years. During her time in school, Regina interned at a variety of Washington, D.C.-area media organizations, including NBC Sports Washington and WTOP. There she assisted in coverage of local MLB and NHL teams. She also interned down at WAAY 31 in Huntsville, AL and worked on stories regarding the local Minor League Baseball affiliate and SEC football. Regina worked in international sports television for almost four years, covering sports from MLS to the KHL and the KBO. She joined Philly Sports Network in 2022 and covers both the Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Sports Illustrated network in 2023. You can follow her on Twitter @Regina_ham or on Instagram @reginamariesports. If you have any questions or comments, she can be reached at regina.ham28@gmail.com.