It has been a fantastic season for the Chicago Cubs, and a significant reason is because of a singular offseason decision.
After winning 83 games the past two seasons, the Cubs got aggressive during the offseason to improve. Chicago was a team that was heading in the right direction but lacking a superstar to help push them over the top.
To the surprise of many, they were able to accomplish that with a blockbuster trade that brought Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros in.
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Before being traded to Chicago, Tucker was establishing himself as a star with the Astros, but he may have flown under the radar a bit with some other big names on the team. For four straight years, he was able to total a bWAR of 4.5 or higher, with his bWAR being over 5.0 in three of those campaigns.
Even though he might not have been a national name before the trade, Tucker was a key part of the success for Houston.
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The price to acquire him certainly wasn’t cheap for the Cubs. They sent three very good players to the Astros, with Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith both having a massive impact already for Houston.
It was a steep price for a player entering the final year of his contract, and that is something that is still looming over the heads of the organization.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Tucker would sign an 11-year, $441 million deal this offseason to remain with the Cubs. “Without so much as a close runner-up, Kyle Tucker is the crown jewel of this year’s free agency class.”
While the numbers might seem big for the proposed contract, Tucker is a true star in the game and is going to certainly be getting north of $400 million.
inning Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
When looking at the recent contract extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, he is going to be making an average salary of just over $35 million per year throughout his contract.
That seems like a fair spot to start for Tucker, who is going to be the top prize in free agency. Luckily, what could end up benefiting the Cubs is that there might not be a ton of competition to sign him in free agency.
Juan Soto’s price went through the roof with the New York Mets and New York Yankees both pursuing him last winter. However, as of now, the market for Tucker might not be as crazy as it has been in recent years.
For the Cubs, keeping Tucker this winter is going to be their top priority and would be a crushing blow if they lost him in free agency.
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