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Cubs Predicted To Re-Sign Star Despite Unwillingness To Spend Recently

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 8:47 AM ET

As the Chicago Cubs continue to try to chip away at the Milwaukee Brewers’ lead in the National League Central, there have been some encouraging signs from the team as of late.

After the Brewers went on a wild stretch of baseball, beating nearly every team that was put in front of them, the Cubs were able to slow them down with a series win and have started to claw back into the NL Central race of late.

One of the reasons for the struggles of Chicago in the second half of the season has been their offense. This was a unit that was one of the best in baseball in the first half of the year but has taken a major step back.

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A lineup that was considered to be very deep and talented has mostly struggled since the All-Star break, but the performance of their two starting All-Stars has really been the catalyst for their struggles. Recently, one of those stars has started to heat up once again, and that is important not only for him, but for the Cubs if they are going to make a run in October.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Cubs will finally start to spend and lock up Kyle Tucker long-term.

Will the Cubs Get a Deal Done?

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Despite his struggles in the second half of the year, Tucker is going to be the top free agent on the board this winter. With multiple All-Star appearances and an ability to do everything well on the field, the star slugger is going to receive some significant offers.

After the massive Juan Soto contract and the extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Tucker will be hoping to headline this class with a deal north of $400 million. Unlike last year with the New York Yankees and New York Mets bidding for Soto, Tucker’s market might not develop like that.

However, there are going to be some big market teams pursuing him like the Philadelphia Phillies and Yankees, making early sense. For Chicago, this has been a franchise that has been hesitant to spend of late. That will have to change over the winter if they want to keep their star, and they would be wise to do so.

Tucker has been able to transform this lineup for the Cubs for most of the year, and his struggles seemingly correlate with the hand injury that he was playing through. While Chicago will surely face some competition, they must re-sign their slugger.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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