Tucker was asked about his Cubs future over the All-Star break and, predictably, he kept things vague. In doing so, he basically told fans what they already knew: that an extension this late in the season, with such a robust free agent market awaiting him, is never going to happen.

The Chicago Cubs took a big and somewhat risky swing this past winter and it has paid off. The team decided to deal Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees and bring in Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros as a replacement, trading away players with several years of control ahead on their contracts for the pending free agent.