Astros fans can't get their hopes up about Kyle Tucker extension as surge continues

Kyle Tucker hasn't hit for average of late, but the Houston Astros right fielder has certainly hit for power. Tucker is slugging .558 on the season with 11 home runs and an expected slugging percentage of .585. Tucker has turned Minute Maid Park into his own personal launching pad in 2024.

But is the All-Star slugger pricing himself right out of H-Town? Tucker signed for $12 million this offseason, and while Astros fans would love to believe that a contract extension is just around the corner, there've been no signs of any negotiations between Houston's front office and the star slugger.

Astros fans are already getting nervous about the prospect of being without Alex Bregman. The third baseman is in the final year of his contract and will likely enter free agency this offseason. If the Astros aren't careful, Tucker will soon be in the same position. The 27-year-old is only under team control through next season.

Astros fans can't get their hopes up about Kyle Tucker extension as hot streak continues

At this point, unless the Astros offer Tucker a market-value deal, it's quite likely that he will test free agency following next season. It's the exact same thing that Bregman dealt with last season and is experiencing now.

The Astros have been hesitant to go much past five years when it comes to contract extensions, but the team did sign Yordan Alvarez to a six-year, $115 million deal in 2022. So the question is becoming clear — will Tucker and Astros eventually come to terms on a new deal or will he go the way of former Houston stars Carlos Correa and George Springer?

The Astros inked Jose Altuve to a five-year contract extension this past spring, and the contract is structured in such a way that signing Tucker is certainly possible. But after not agreeing to terms this past offseason, if Tucker continues at this MVP-type pace, the price tag on his contract is only going to go up.

Astros fans certainly don't want to see Tucker's bat slow down, as the team needs everything they've got as Houston looks to regain its footing in the AL West. But the idea of keeping Tucker in Space City for the long haul is becoming more and more clouded with each passing day.

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