Jed Hoyer is already resigned to the Cubs losing Kyle Tucker in free agency

When Jed Hoyer made the decision to pull the trigger on a trade for Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, he knew the risk he was taking. Tucker is just a year away from free agency, and after Juan Soto secured a $765 million bag, there was no way he was passing up the chance to hit the open market in 12 months time — there's a reason why Houston was willing to deal him in the first place, after all.

But the Chicago Cubs needed to shake things up after consecutive 83-win seasons and four years without a playoff berth. Players as good as Tucker simply don't come available all that often, especially not for a trade package that allows you to hold on to all of your very best prospects. The Cubs are much, much better today than they were a week ago, and you certainly can't blame Hoyer for pulling the trigger.

Still: It's a big risk, and one that could ultimately define Hoyer's tenure on the North Side. Tucker's future is going to hang over every day of the 2025 Cubs season, starting with his introductory press conference on Tuesday.

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Jed Hoyer doesn't sound confident in re-signing Kyle Tucker in free agency

Naturally, Tucker's contract situation was among the very first things that Hoyer was asked about. And his answer, while brief, sure made him sound like a man who made this trade with one season (and one season only) in mind.

Hoyer is, of course, correct that there's no point in speculating; Tucker isn't going to sign an extension a year away from his massive payday, and addressing it in the media is only going to serve as a distraction (or, worse, wind up alienating the player involved). Bring up the prospect of an extension, and Tucker won't be happy. Rule it out entirely, and everyone will think that you don't want to keep your new star player around for the long haul.

Still, this puts even more pressure on a season that was already shaping up to be win or bust for Chicago. While Tucker himself wasn't willing to rule out the idea of an extension entirely, the way he did so — and how long he paused in the middle of his answer — sure made it seem like he was just trying to avoid a controversy on his first day with a new team.

Again: None of this means that the trade for Tucker was a mistake. The Cubs needed to contend in 2025, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets aren't slowing down any time soon. If Chicago makes a deep playoff run next year, all will likely be forgiven, and it's not like the deal left the cupboard bare. But Tucker's first day as a Cub sure laid bare the stakes of the next 10 months or so.