It’s wild how much the cost of acquiring or retaining top-tier talent has skyrocketed in recent years. We have seen it with Juan Soto or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And the next in line now? Kyle Tucker!

Tucker (.308 BA) is having an incredible start to the 2025 season after his offseason trade from the Astros to the Cubs. He has always been an excellent all-around player. It now seems like his move to Chicago is paying off big time, especially in the Cubs’ offense. However, he is here for one year only, and the onus is on the Cubs to retain him.

But Tucker will come with a huge price tag!

“He’s got a really good opportunity next year to make some pretty good coin,” Bryce Harper told The Athletic before the start of this weekend’s Cubs-Phillies series at Wrigley Field.

Yes, the projection came from none other than Harper. While he is now well-settled with the Phillies for a 13-year deal, he wishes the Cubs to go hard for Tucker. True, the future contract for Tucker is going to be jaw-dropping! But Tucker’s talent has already shown its worth every penny of that kind of massive deal. His combination of power, consistency, and defensive ability at a premium position (7 homers & 25 RBIs) makes him incredibly valuable.

Tucker might not hit the $765 million mark, but we’re talking about a contract that could still push the boundaries of what’s possible in MLB. Considering the current trajectory of MLB contracts, the Cubs can expect a $40 million to $45 million AAV for the slugger once he hits free agency.

However, given the Cubs’ history with high-profile free-agent pursuits, particularly with Harper back in 2018, there’s a bit of skepticism about their ability to retain a star like Kyle Tucker. For starters, it was a botched move by the Cubs in 2018 when they famously pursued Harper and ultimately lost out to the Phillies, which took a huge toll on the club. But what if it went otherwise?

Well, it certainly could’ve altered the trajectory of the team in some significant ways. Harper’s presence in that lineup could’ve given the Cubs that extra offensive punch they were lacking, especially during the tail-end collapse in September 2019.

Now, the question is: Will the Cubs repeat the same mistake this time with Tucker?

“Going into that offseason, they were the No. 1 team on my list,” Harper referred to his interest in the Cubs back in 2018. “Without a doubt.” Ahh, that’s a gut punch for the Cubs. So, this time, probably, they cannot afford to make the same mistake with Tucker.

The Cubs are reading the same old script for Tucker

“We spent a lot of time thinking about what Bryce Harper’s worth as a free agent,” the Cubs chairman, Tom Ricketts, said. “That’s one that we kicked around that obviously we never executed on.” So, the Cubs infamously just waited to gauge Harper’s worth before it’s gone too late to get him. This time, it’s the same old story.

During a recent appearance, the Cubs President, Jed Hoyer, got candid about how it is “hard” to negotiate in-season. “This is a really special place to play. It’s an incredible city, and it’s an even better city in the summer. Listen, he’s not going to have a shortage of suitors.”

So, everything but a paycheck! It seems like the Cubs are pitching sentimental reasons to retain Tucker over money. Honestly, that trick worked with Guerrero due to his long association with Toronto. But Tucker? He is in Chicago for just one year!

This season, Kyle Tucker is lighting it up! Those numbers—.308/.414/.617 with seven homers, and more walks than strikeouts—are exactly what you’d expect from a true superstar. The fact that the Cubs are the highest-scoring team (167) in baseball, with Tucker playing a huge role in that, speaks to his incredible impact on their offense.

Hence, while Harper warned the team for good, they need to offer a good paycheck this time. Do you think the Cubs will ultimately be able to retain their star player?