There couldn't have been a happier play in Major League Baseball than Kyle Tucker when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got his $500 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Whether one wants to say that Guerrero is a better player isn’t unfair, but it's also important to recognize what Tucker does on the field that Guerrero doesn't. Tucker plays a valuable position in the outfield and is an above-average defender. That has to be factored in, and likely will be.
For the former Houston Astros star, the question remains about how much money he could get in free agency and where he'll end up.
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Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes that he'll stay with the team the Astros traded him to, the Chicago Cubs. He also predicted that Tucker would sign an 11-year, $441 million deal in Chicago.
“Granted, Guerrero is more than two years younger than Tucker, so 14 years probably isn't happening. Getting 10 or maybe 12 is much more likely. But getting north of $40M per year could be in the cards.
“As far as roster/payroll fit goes, staying with the Cubs makes the most sense. They may well need to structure the deal in such a way that he doesn't make a ton in 2026. However, with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki both slated for free agency after next season, the Cubs A) need to be thinking about their long-term outfield plans and B) have some big salaries coming off the books heading into 2027,” he wrote.
This figure would be a slight underpay for the Cubs, considering the other contracts around Major League Baseball.
The Astros would’ve never been willing to give him that type of contract, so it's probably better that they ended up trading him for Cam Smith and others.
However, it's tough to ignore just how much fun it would’ve been with Tucker, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve now on the team again.