Cubs Reportedly ‘Convinced They Gotta Break Bank’ for Kyle Tucker
The possibility of a Kyle Tucker extension has remained near the top of Cubs headlines since the moment he was acquired from Houston. And though it probably won’t break the record of Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” which set a new record by spending 58 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, we’re probably looking at several more weeks of rumors and reports.
The latest of those comes from David Kaplan, who expressed a great deal of optimism for a new deal during the latest episode of his Cubs REKAP podcast (full episode embedded below).
“I’m hearing that the Cubs have wrapped their brain around — now, it doesn’t mean he’ll accept it — have wrapped their brain around ‘Whatever it costs, we’re paying it,’” Kaplan said. “And they want to keep Tucker.”
Kaplan then presented a hypothetical figure of 10 years and $420 million, asking co-host Gordon Wittenmyer whether he felt that would get it done. Both men agreed that such a figure might well be enough, both in terms of total value and AAV, especially considering the market and the Cubs’ ability to compete in a division that isn’t filled with juggernauts. And while the top free agent in the upcoming market could possibly command more, that’s a lot of security to pass up.
Wittenmyer then asked how the Cubs were going to F this up, noting the possibility of them not getting anywhere near that proposed number.
“I think they will,” Kaplan countered. “I believe wholeheartedly they will get the deal done with him — if he wants to be here. I believe they are convinced they gotta break the bank for him.”
It’s important to note that the numbers being discussed here are little more than speculation and that it’s possible this optimism is something the Cubs would really like to see more of in the fanbase. Just as they’ve done with the team as a whole over the last several years, this organization loves to sell the idea of plausible competitiveness for both players and playoffs. Tom Ricketts and Crane Kenney have long played the role of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.
Of course, that only works when you’ve got legions of fans who keep hoping they’ll actually get to make the kick.
And hey, maybe it’ll finally happen this time. While I’ve heard from more than one person with industry knowledge that even giving the Cubs a 2% chance to extend Tucker seems too high, there’s a sense from others that they’ll get it done because they have to. After missing out on several other superstar free agents because they weren’t willing to spend what it takes to sign them, Tucker feels like the last chance to add a top talent.
With other salaries falling off over the next few seasons and some prospects coming up to fill the void at minimal cost, the Cubs should easily be able to absorb a monster contract without incurring luxury tax penalties. And based on how much more money they’ll earn in gate and merchandise sales alone, not to mention additional Marquee subscriptions for a perennial contender, Tucker’s deal could end up looking like a bargain. That’s why they’ve at least had preliminary conversations about the possibility of discussing an extension.
Then again, ownership has shown nothing to indicate a willingness to offer a deal worth more than double the largest contract in franchise history. So is this just a matter of Kaplan giving the Cubs some good PR or something more legitimate? I fall somewhere in the middle on it because we can all agree that the team understands what it’s going to take to retain Tucker’s services.
When it comes to their desire to act on that understanding, I can’t say I’m convinced.
