Chicago Cubs Outfielder’s Conflicting Extension Reports

The Chicago Cubs made one of the most aggressive moves last offseason when they traded for Houston Astros RF Kyle Tucker. Not only is Tucker one of the best hitters in all of baseball, but he is also scheduled to hit free agency after the 2025 MLB season. The move showed a lot of guile on the part of the Chicago Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, whose contract is also set to expire this offseason. As soon as Hoyer pulled the trigger on the Tucker trade, rumblings about a possible contract extension arose.

The Chicago Cubs gave up Hayden Wesneski, Isaac Paredes, and top prospect Cam Smith in order to acquire Kyle Tucker. Chicago fans and the team’s front office are hoping that they can offer Tucker a long-term contract to keep him. Although the season is nearing its halfway point, there have been some conflicting reports about the status of a possible extension to keep Tucker in right field at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.

Kyle Tucker Extension Confusion

Kyle Tucker has had a solid start to his first season on the north side of the Windy City with the Chicago Cubs. The two-time All-Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger winner has helped the Cubs get out to one of the hottest starts in MLB this season. As of now, Chicago sits at 45-28, 6.5 games clear of everyone else in the NL Central. Kyle Tucker is a big reason for that. He is slashing .284/.394/.515 with 13 HR, 43 RBI, 18 SB, and a 3.1 WAR.

Tucker’s performance this season is far from the only thing that is discussed when his name comes up in Chicago. His looming free agency and the decision to trade away two major-leaguers and a top-rated prospect for his services for potentially only one year have been one of the top storylines of the Chicago Cubs’ season thus far. There have been conflicting reports on the status of a possible extension since he arrived in Chicago.

Mike Rodriguez, an MLB insider and Spanish broadcast partner of the Chicago Cubs, has reported that as early as April, the Cubs and Tucker’s representatives were working towards an extension, posting on X, “According to my sources, the Cubs and Kyle Tucker are already discussing a possible contract extension. Let’s see what happens with that!” Nothing has come in the wake of this report except another MLB insider refuting Rodriguez’s reporting.

Chicago Cubs’ Possible Alternatives

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers went on a Chicago radio show to combat Rodriguez’s post with some of his own reporting, saying, “The latest [on the extension rumors] is that there is nothing. There have been no discussions on a long-term deal. I don’t think there’s going to be any for a while…They haven’t talked, and there’s been no decision on when they will talk.” Rogers seems to be coming out on top in this situation, as the rumor mill about a possible extension for Kyle Tucker has cooled considerably as the season has worn on.

If the Chicago Cubs aren’t able to secure Tucker to an extension by the end of the year, the likelihood that he returns to the north side is greatly reduced. Tucker is represented by Excel Sports Management, and they will likely encourage Tucker to take the biggest deal on the table, something that the Cubs have been reticent to commit to in the past. An X-factor that could derail Tucker’s potential extension is the looming and growing eventual contract extension for standout CF Pete Crow-Armstrong.

If financial constraints, personal preferences, or anything else draw Tucker to another team, the Chicago Cubs have some options for right field in 2026. Seiya Suzuki could return to the position the Cubs signed him to play, and 2025 could be just a hiatus from playing in the field every day. Another option could be bringing up top prospect Owen Caissie, who has been knocking on the door of making it to the majors for a couple of seasons. If Tucker isn’t retained, Caissie could be the man for the job in the right field for the Chicago Cubs moving forward.