The vibes are good on the North Side of Chicago right now, where the Cubs just polished off a dramatic two-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 7-6 win on Wednesday night. Chicago pounded out 18 runs on 25 hits over the last couple of days, with Kyle Tucker looking like the MVP candidate the team hoped it was getting over the winter, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the midst of a long-awaited breakout and Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Ian Happ all swinging the bat well.

But these are the 2025 Cubs we’re talking about, for whom winning games is only half the battle. The other half? Doing whatever it takes to convince Tucker to sign a long-term extension rather than hit free agency next winter (or, depending on your point of view, doing whatever it takes to convince Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts to give him one). Everything Chicago does this season will in some way be viewed through the lens of the Tucker sweepstakes; if you don’t believe me, just head to the replies of any random post from the official Cubs account on X.

But it’s not just fans who feel how high the stakes are right now. Even Tucker’s teammates realize it, and they’re beginning to do their part to put on the full-court press.

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Dansby Swanson makes clear that Cubs players want Kyle Tucker to stick around as badly as fans do

Shortstop Dansby Swanson had the honor of doing the on-field interview after Chicago’s win on Wednesday night. Swanson is one of the few Cubs regulars not tearing the cover off the ball right now, but he did have two hits and drive in two runs. And, just as importantly, he’s a crucial piece of the team’s future, signed through the end of the 2029 season.

If Tucker’s going to commit to the Cubs for the long haul, he’s committing, at least in some small part, to Swanson. And the shortstop went well out of his way to make Tucker feel the love.

Asked what’s changed to turn Chicago’s offense into the best in the league so far, Swanson didn’t hesitate: “A guy like Kyle Tucker really, really helps,” he told MLB Network’s JP Morosi. “He’s a special talent, special player.”

Swanson went on to compliment the entire lineup, including Crow-Armstrong specifically. But it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that Tucker was the first name out of his mouth: Not only is the former Houston Astros star tearing the cover off the ball, but he’s changed the entire vibe around this team, the middle-of-the-lineup star around whom everyone else can orbit. It’s hard to put a price on that player, someone who allows everyone else to believe big things are possible, and Swanson wants to see him stick around as badly as anyone.