Astros drawing extension buzz on young slugger added in Kyle Tucker trade with Cubs

The Houston Astros are 46-49 in the regular season with only one more series to go before the 2026 All-Star break.

While this year hasn't exactly gone to plan, they're just 2.0 games out of the AL West lead, and 1.5 games back of an AL Wild Card spot. They're still contenders, and it's thanks to some key players having some solid seasons.

One young slugger has shown enough promise that, according to Robert Murray of Fansided.com, an MLB executive is questioning whether it's time for an extension. That outfielder is Cam Smith, the player acquired in the Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker trade.

Cam Smith drawing extension buzz for Astros from MLB exec

"Cam Smith is already creating extension buzz," Murray writes. "I was having a conversation with a baseball executive who posed an interesting question: Should the Houston Astros extend Cam Smith, the prized young outfielder who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Kyle Tucker?"

The Astros don't have to extend Smith for a very long time. The 23-year-old is under club control through the 2030 season. Houston has plenty of time to work out a deal.

However, if the Astros want to secure a key piece of their core for the long term, unlike what happened with Jeremy Pena, then signing Smith to a long-term deal now might be a good idea.

Other clubs around baseball are signing their young players to long contracts, some even before they set foot into the Major Leagues. But, for the Astros, Smith has already proven his worth in the Majors and is deserving of a long-term investment.

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This season, across 93 games, Smith has put up 1.1 bWAR with 69 hits, 38 runs scored, 13 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, 32 RBIs, nine stolen bases, a .220 batting average, and a .670 OPS along with an 87 OPS+.

While there's room for improvement, as he's still a below-average hitter statistically, there is some promise with Smith that's worth investing in now.

Besides, since he's not been too great, the Astros likely wouldn't have to spend top-dollar to sign him long-term. A big contract that lasts beyond the 2030 season would make sense, especially if Houston believes Smith is a core part of this franchise.

While there's some uncertainty regarding how good he will actually be, taking a chance and signing him to an extension now would make sense. They're losing Pena soon because they couldn't get a deal done. Why not avoid it with Smith?

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