The Houston Astros finally came to life against the Detroit Tigers. After a huge series loss against the New York Yankees, the Astronauts seemed to be fading fast. However, the 8th-inning rally against the Tigers pushed the team towards a 5-2 win. And as has been the case throughout this season, it was Kyle Tucker who led the way for the Astros. 

Tucker’s American League-leading 12th homer in the 6th inning sent the scoreboard running for the Astros. This has been the case throughout this season. Even when the Astros have failed, Tucker has remained one of their few bright spots. While Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena have performed well too, Tucker’s clutch moments cannot be understated. They have also once again laid bare the obvious decision for the Astros: extend Tucker’s contract at any cost.

Though there are still two years remaining on Tucker’s deal, there are growing calls from fans to extend his deal. Astros’ insider Michael Connor, too, demanded the same in his podcast. “I’ve heard from some people that they think you can get Kyle Tucker done in a deal that’s in an Austin Riley situation with the Atlanta Braves, which was like a 10-year, $220 million deal. Do it! Stop waiting,” Connor said. 

Can Tucker’s deal be extended to $200 million? It could be. Per The Athletic, Tucker’s all-around game can likely get him a $200 million deal in the open market. However, one wonders if his current explosive form might raise his value by a little bit. The Astros have a habit of extending. They’ve been one of the most prolific contract extenders in the league, with Jose Altuve and Cristian Javier getting extended within the last year.

For the Astros, this is the kind of deal that they need to make. Especially because Altuve is getting old and Tucker could be the one who can replace the Astros legend when the time comes.

Why Kyle Tucker is becoming highly important for the Houston Astros?

The Astronauts are currently 4th in AL West with a 14-24 record. That’s by far one of their worst in the last decade. However, despite such huge losses, Tucker is sitting with a 2.1 WAR. That shows just how big of a game-changer he’s been for them. Then comes the fact that he’s only 27 right now. There’s a whole lot of peak still left within Tucker, and the Astros would certainly like to take advantage of it. 

If this season continues on its current trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Astros become a seller. In that case, retaining Tucker is even more important to start a new era around his always-improving bat. Certainly, if the Astros want to maintain their current stronghold on the American League, a $200 million or so price for Tucker isn’t that high, right?