Chicago Cubs Insider Thinks It's Likely Kyle Tucker Will Leave Next Winter

The Chicago Cubs losing Kyle Tucker after one season because they don't want to pay him would be a complete disaster.

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The Chicago Cubs made the most significant move they've made in a very long time when they acquired superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

With Tucker set to hit the open market next winter and the Astros seemingly on the cusp of entering a rebuild following their dominant run of American League success, Houston dealing him made a lot of sense and the Cubs happened to be the beneficiary.

But with the package Chicago gave up including a stud prospect, Cam Smith, who instantly became the best in the Astros system, a franchise third baseman in Isaac Paredes and a high-upside arm in Hayden Wesneski, one would hope that Tucker is going to stick around the Windy City for the long haul and not just be a one-year rental.

Cubs fans hoping to see Tucker secure his megadeal to stay in Chicago may end up being disappointed, though.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN stated he believes it is more likely than not the Cubs do not give Tucker an extension.

"The bottom line is more of a concern than ever, with some industry observers believing the Cubs won't sign a megadeal for a player before the next labor agreement is negotiated with the players after the 2026 season," he wrote. "That means Tucker could be one-and-done at Wrigley Field. After [Juan] Soto helped set the market when he signed for $765 million, the soon-to-be free agent has likely already priced himself out of Chicago."

Seeing Tucker leave after one season would be more than bitterly disappointing, it would be downright angering.

Chicago gave up too much in the trade to not, at the very least, make an extremely competitive offer to try to keep him.

If this in truly just an "all-in" for 2025 type move and the Cubs make a deep playoff run, that would certainly ease the pain, but teams shouldn't make a trade for a player like this if they don't plan on making a serious effort to keep him around for the future.

The $400 million-plus that Tucker could command on the open market is understandably an intimidating number, but Chicago needs to look in the mirror here and ask itself what it wants to be.

This is not a small-market baseball team no matter how much ownership wants fans to believe it is, and the best teams in the Majors are spending money to acquire and keep their best players.

Balking at keeping Tucker for the sake of saving money - assuming he is as-advertised and has a huge season for the team - would be downright inexcusable.

If the three-time All-Star decides he doesn't want to stay, that's another discussion.

But Jed Hoyer must do everything he can to ensure Tucker doesn't want to leave.