Money won't be an issue for Cubs at trade deadline, but it will be a factor in Kyle Tucker negotiations
While on pace to win around 95 games, the Cubs still haven't broken away from the pack in the surprisingly competitive National League Central. All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker is only a few months away from becoming the No. 1 free agent on the board, adding to the sense of urgency.
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The Cubs are already down a starting pitcher, Justin Steele, who could have fronted a potential playoff rotation if he wasn't recovering from major elbow surgery. A 13-13 record in June also exposed some of the club's weaknesses.
'This place is full almost every night,' Hoyer said Tuesday at Wrigley Field. 'We'll have the resources to make the moves that we need to make at the deadline.'
The Cubs remain one of Major League Baseball's top revenue machines. However, the Ricketts family ownership group and Crane Kenney's business operations department typically run this big-market franchise in a more conservative fashion.
The Cubs carried an Opening Day payroll that ranked 10th or 12th out of 30 clubs, according to calculations by USA Today and The Associated Press. That estimated range around $195 million left the Cubs significantly below this year's $241 million luxury-tax threshold.
Back in February, after free agent Alex Bregman declined a four-year, $115 million offer from the Cubs and signed with the Boston Red Sox, Hoyer said Chicago's baseball operations department maintained 'a hair of flexibility' for in-season additions but otherwise maxed out its budget: 'Wins are at a premium right now in the National League, so it's not like we're holding back a war chest to get ready for the deadline.'
At the time, Hoyer also expressed optimism that the Cubs would reinvest if the club was winning. Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts also gives his top baseball executives wide latitude around the trade deadline. Ricketts, for instance, became personally involved in approving the Nick Castellanos deal in 2019, hoping it would provide a spark.
Beyond fans clamoring for the Cubs to sign Tucker to a long-term megadeal, the Cubs are dealing with several different pressure points. Hoyer entered this season as a lame duck, hoping to be rewarded with his own new contract. The organization has also moved cautiously ahead of the next labor deal, unsure of what changes could be implemented after the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season.
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At that point, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd could all be free agents, leaving a much smaller nucleus. Ricketts' long-range goal remains building a consistent, sustainable contender that avoids the extended down periods that marked so much of the franchise's history.
Part of the strategy around this trade deadline, then, could be adding players who are already under club control for multiple seasons, such as Miami Marlins pitchers Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara, the former Cy Young Award winner.
'We've kept our books unbelievably clean in the future,' Hoyer said. 'That's been something that, organizationally, we've been really disciplined about. When you look at our books, we're in a really enviable position that way. Now that said, we also have a significant amount of talent that is up after 2026, so there's a double-edged sword to really clean books. But that is something that has been a significant priority for us, and that gives us real flexibility moving forward.'
Like clockwork, the announced attendance on a pleasant summer evening at the Friendly Confines was 38,257 for Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Cubs are hoping that Wrigley Field's energy and atmosphere will continue to appeal to Tucker, who was acquired as a rental player in last winter's blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros.
The idea was that the Cubs would try to win big with Tucker in 2025 and figure out the rest later. In many ways, the Wrigleyville experience sells itself to free agents. Rather than forcing the issue, it sounds like Hoyer is letting that situation unfold with Tucker's agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management. It probably makes sense for both sides to see what the market will bear.
'Kyle Tucker is a player you want to have for a long time,' Hoyer said. 'He's been one of the best players in baseball this year. He does so many things well, and he's really had a significant impact on this offense. Certainly, you want to keep a player like that. You go into the negotiation wanting to keep him. But, obviously, you realize in some way that you must have your limits.
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'We'll keep all those things internal. But, certainly, I think Kyle is the kind of player you want to keep – I've said that all along. Obviously, we'll be talking to Casey about that at some point. But, ultimately, you have to go into a negotiation with a value. You have to do that with any negotiation.'
(Top photo of Kyle Tucker: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
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