Tucker, who is undoubtedly one of the better players in baseball, has only gone up in price over the past few months. After Juan Soto took his deal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got $500 million, and other decisions around Major League Baseball, there's no debating that Tucker had a smile on his face after all these deals.

The Cubs didn't seem likely to hang onto Kyle Tucker after trading for him. But they are positioned to pay him $50 million per season if they consider him essential.

"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."