The Philadelphia Phillies finished with a 95-67 record in 2024, winning the NL East for the first time in 13 years. This season the Phillies are considered one of the biggest threats to the Dodgers’ World Series hopes, as the team boasts an excellent, deep rotation and All-Star-caliber players throughout the lineup.
Although Kyle Tucker is just settling in with the Chicago Cubs after being traded by the Houston Astros over the offseason, one insider expects the veteran right fielder’s stay in the Windy City to be brief.
“After a strong season with the Cubs, Kyle Tucker signs a 14-year, $604 million contract with the Phillies in free agency,” Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote in his list of 25 predictions for the 2025 season. “The deal includes significant deferrals,” Bowden added.
Would Kyle Tucker choose the Phillies over the Cubs?
Tucker avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $16.5 million deal with Chicago for the upcoming season. And he’s been outspoken about his interest in signing a long-term deal with the team. Tucker won Cubs fans over by discussing how happy he is to be on the team. He also praised the organization and its fanbase.
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But in Bowden’s prophecy, Tucker eschews an extension with the Cubs and choses to join the Phillies.
Tucker had a good run with the Astros, spending the first seven seasons of his eight-year career in Houston. A shin fracture hampered his 2024 campaign, costing Tucker 79 games. But when he was healthy enough to play, he was excellent, earning his third consecutive All-Star Game nod.
Tucker appeared in the World Series three times with the Astros and was a member of the team that beat the Phillies in the 2022 Fall Classic. Philadelphia believes it has a championship-caliber team in 2025 but adding Tucker would certainly be a boon.
The Phillies’ current right fielder, Nick Castellanos is signed with the team through the 2026 season but that’s unlikely to prevent the team from pursuing Tucker. And his Gold Glove probably gives him the edge at the position.
While deferrals play a role in the actual value of contracts Bowden’s prognostications have Tucker’s deal surpassing Vladimir Guerero Jr.’s. While he predicts a 14-year, $604 million pact between Tucker and the Phillies, Bowden believes the Blue Jays will re-sign Vladdy to a 15-year, $577 million contract.
