Chicago Cubs Giving Kyle Tucker Long-Term Extension Isn't in Immediate Future

Right now, it doesn't seem like the Chicago Cubs are going to get a long-term extension done with Kyle Tucker despite the trade package they gave up to land him.

Apr 23, 2023; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) gets hand shakes in the dugout after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The dust has yet to settle on the Chicago Cubs acquiring Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade that took the baseball world by storm, but questions are starting to be posed about what that means for the future.

In the immediate, adding the star outfielder helps them win right now.

Tucker is one of the best players in Major League Baseball, and for a team that has missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, making an aggressive move to land him is exactly what Cubs fans have been clamoring for the front office to do.

It wasn't cheap to bring him to Chicago.

They traded away 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes, high-ceiling pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and recent first-round pick and top prospect Cam Smith to get it done.

Naturally, the next things Cubs fans want to know if this is going to be a one-year rental for Tucker or if they are going to lock him up with a long-term extension.

Based on the immediate bits of information coming from Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, it doesn't seem like that is on the radar of either party at this moment.

"Some will say that the Cubs paid too big a price for just one year of Tucker. But not all trades for stars on expiring deals are the same ... Yes, this was a steep price for one year of Tucker, but the Cubs didn't empty their farm ... the Cubs didn't do anything in the Tucker trade to severely compromise their effort to become a consistent winner for years to come," the insider writes.

There was a lot of "one year" terminology sprinkled in there.

That seems to be the sentiment surrounding this situation with Chicago heading into the upcoming season.

Tucker, represented by Excel Sports Management, is expected to command a massive deal when he hits free agency next offseason, so if the Cubs are going to keep him around for the long term, they would need to offer something that's likely in the $400 million-plus range.

Based on how this franchise has operated in the past, that is not going to happen.

Instead, Chicago is hoping this addition gets them back into the playoffs in 2025 and Tucker bridges the gap until the organization is comfortable turning things over to their star prospects.