Kyle Tucker and the Chicago Cubs are reportedly nowhere near any sort of contract extension as the second half of the season quickly approaches.
The Cubs, who just acquired Tucker, seem like a place he would want to stay as they have complete control over the National League Central at this point. However, MLB insider Jon Heyman breaks down the latest on his situation.
“This guy is going to be a free agent at this point,” said Heyman on MLB Network. “We thought maybe there would be some discussions, maybe they tried and maybe it didn’t work.”
Tucker will be one of the biggest names on the market at the end of the season if Heyman’s report holds true. The Cubs certainly knew they would have to pay up for him, and Heyman dove a little deeper into the complexity of locking down a player of his caliber.
“We had Jed Hoyer with Joel Sherman on the podcast for the New York Post, and he said basically it’s very difficult to sign up a guy who is about to be a free agent with his stature,” said Heyman. “To me, that was a pretty big hint that they’re not going to be able to do it in the season, so it’s going to have to be after the season.”
As for where Tucker may land in free agency, it’s anyone’s guess at this point. Even after calling up top prospect Roman Anthony, Heyman lists the Boston Red Sox as a potential suitor or the San Francisco Giants if the Cubs can’t find some common ground.
“Never count out the San Francisco Giants at this point,” Heyman said on the show. “They look like an aggressive team as we’ve seen and the Red Sox. Now the Red Sox have a lot of outfielders, but we’ve heard of (Jarren) Duran potentially on the market. They would be a possibility as well because they need to do something to make up for (Rafael Devers).”
Tucker’s situation will remain fluid, but he will be one of the most sought after players when the offseason begins.
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