The Chicago Cubs trading for Kyle Tucker was both a no-brainer and a major risk. On one hand, he's a perfect fit in Chicago: The team desperately needed a superstar to plug into the middle of their lineup surrounding their many solid position players, and sure enough, Tucker has performed like the superstar he's expected to be thus far. On the other hand, though, Tucker is in his final year of club control. This could be a one-and-done situation for Tucker in The Windy City.
Many Cubs fans feared that, due to owner Tom Ricketts' spending history, Tucker was a lock to depart after the year. ESPN's Jeff Passan did his best to give Cubs fans hope that their worst fears might not actually become reality on the latest episode of the Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney podcast.
On the podcast, https://t.co/Deb0FqxuAM @JeffPassan has a guess about where Kyle Tucker will sign. pic.twitter.com/ICWwgGxREY
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 11, 2025
"The Cubs haven't gone after [Shohei] Ohtani or [Juan] Soto with the same level of fervor that they should have, but, it was because Tom Ricketts is unwilling to spend," Passan said. "That narrative, once it starts chasing you and once it starts bumming out your fans, I think it gets to owners after time. I don't think Tom Ricketts wants his reputation to be the cheap Cubs owner."
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Cubs fans can play major role in Kyle Tucker sweepstakes
At the end of the day, Tucker's free agency could come down to whether Ricketts is willing to spend what he should to keep a franchise-caliber player in town. Everyone knows that the Cubs, as a big -market team that always draws a ton of fans, have more than enough money to spend. It comes down to Ricketts' desire to spend it.
He hasn't had that desire in recent history, but the longer he refrains from spending like a big-market owner, the more frustrated Cubs fans will be. We saw a similar situation play out with the Boston Red Sox involving their owner, John Henry. Henry was a popular punching bag among fans in recent years, but a major offseason spending spree this past winter has him in much better standing among the fan base now.
The Cubs simply can't let Tucker leave. Not only is he an electric all-around talent who can help the Cubs win big, but the Cubs gave up a ton to get him by parting with infielder Isaac Paredes, top prospect Cam Smith and righty Hayden Wesneski. Giving up all of that for one year of Tucker, especially if they fail to win the World Series in 2025, would be a terrible look.
Ricketts paying Tucker just to avoid more vitriol from the fan base might not be what Cubs fans want to hear, but all that really matters is that he's in Chicago long-term. Nobody will really care why Ricketts allows the Cubs to pay him what he deserves if he actually does it. Hopefully, Passan's theory can come to fruition for Cubs fans.