The Chicago Cubs pulled off one of the biggest moves of last MLB offseason when they acquired Kyle Tucker via a trade with the Houston Astros.
This deal was significant for several reasons. The first and most obvious one was that it showed the Cubs’ desire to be viewed as true contenders, given that Tucker is one of baseball’s premier sluggers.
But perhaps even more important than that in the eyes of fans was how it showed the willingness of Chicago’s front office to get creative when it comes to bolstering the roster.
It’s no secret that the Cubs have been notoriously averse to giving players big contracts in free agency. The largest contract they’ve given a player is still the eight-year, $184 million deal Jason Heyward got from the team in 2016. While this was a huge deal at the time, there are probably at least ten players who will get larger contracts in this current MLB offseason alone. And the Cubs probably won’t be one of the teams to sign a player on such a deal.