Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer maintained his stance on keeping contract negotiations out of the public sphere. But on Tuesday he acknowledged the obvious: “At some point” the Cubs will talk with three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker’s agent Casey Close about a possible extension.

Chicago has surged behind Tucker, sitting 15 games over .500 atop the NL Central and chasing its first division title since 2020. He currently ranks third in NL outfielder All-Star Game voting, trailing only teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ronald Acuña Jr.

If Jed Hoyer's bets continue to hit, everyone — from him to Tucker to the beer vendors to chairman Tom Ricketts — is going to cash in.