The Chicago Cubs are 50-35, tied for the second-best record in the National League. And yet, somehow the Milwaukee Brewers are right on their tails, only 2.5 games back in the standings. St. Louis and Cincinnati are above-.500 teams as well. There is a lot of competition in the NL Central right now, which means Jed Hoyer and the front office are under immense pressure to deliver upgrades at the trade deadline.

From the sound of it, that is exactly what the Cubs plan to do. Credit where credit is due, Hoyer says he has the rubber stamp from ownership to spend money at the deadline.

“(Wrigley Field) is full almost every night,” Hoyer told The Athletic. “We’ll have the resources to make the moves that we need to make at the deadline.”

This is great. It’s a reason for optimism around the clubhouse and the fanbase. But, there’s another side to this coin. If the Cubs spend aggressively at the trade deadline, only to let Kyle Tucker leave in free agency a few short months from now, that will serve as an indictment on the Ricketts, Jed Hoyer and the entire financial apparatus on the North Side of Chicago.

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Cubs will spend aggressively at the trade deadline, but all eyes are on Kyle Tucker

Chicago’s trade for Kyle Tucker was the offseason’s most shocking and impressive move. For years, we have collectively bemoaned the Cubs’ lack of financial abandon in the face of massive profits in a huge market. Few teams generate as much money and fan interest as Chicago, so those fans deserved a major splash and a chance at the World Series. Tucker gives Chicago that chance.

If the Cubs go all the way, none of this really matters. Tucker could leave in free agency, but if he leaves a champ, he will have forever etched his name in Cubs lore. One World Series title every decade is a good pace for any organization. But if the Cubs can’t take it all the way, keeping Tucker becomes absolutely paramount — not only for the on-field product, but for the in-stands support base.

Hoyer was extremely confident about his ability to spend money at the deadline, citing clean books and healthy attendance at Wrigley. But when Turner became the subject of his interview with The Athletic, his tune… shifted.

“Kyle Tucker is a player you want to have for a long time,” Hoyer said. “He’s been one of the best players in baseball this year. He does so many things well, and he’s really had a significant impact on this offense. Certainly, you want to keep a player like that. You go into the negotiation wanting to keep him. But, obviously, you realize in some way that you must have your limits.”

That is NOT what fans want to hear. Of course every team must have limits, but in a world where Shohei Ohtani gets $700 million from the Dodgers and Juan Soto gets $765 million from the Mets, those limits must be extremely high. The best point of comparison for Tucker is probably Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 14-year, $500 million extension with Toronto. You can argue that Tucker, a more complete player, deserves even more.

On paper, the Cubs should be able to afford it. Chicago is a huge market and the Cubs are among the most popular sports franchises in America. But with a payroll that doesn’t even crack the top 10 right now, there’s very little historic precedent for this Cubs front office spending at the level necessary to retain Tucker.

An aggressive trade deadline would be nice. But the Cubs better back it up in free agency, lest the fanbase revolt.