Three-Time All-Star Outfielder Traded to Cubs
After a disappointing 2024 season, the Chicago Cubs have made their first big move of the offseason. They traded for three-time all-star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and Cam Smith will be going back to Houston in the trade. Tucker is an outstanding outfield bat who has made a name for himself in the last four years. He will be a huge piece for the Cubs, and this trade may have a little more in between the lines.
Kyle Tucker has been one of the best outfielders in the league for the last few years. He has yet to play a full season where his OPS is below .800. He really put his name on the map in 2021 when he finished the year with a slash line of .294/.359/.557 with 30 home runs. The next year, in 2022, he would achieve his first all-star appearance and help lead his team to a World Series Championship. In 2024, he got even better even after battling an injury. In 78 games, he put up a slash line of .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, which is good for a .993 OPS. If he had played a full season, he very likely could have finished in the top five in MVP voting. Tucker is going to bring a lot to a Cubs team that desperately needs it. Although they still have yet to address their pitching, just adding Tucker makes their lineup a lot more lethal.
Trading a guy like Tucker away is something you don’t do every day, especially if you are trying to win a World Series. In 2024, although they won the AL West yet again, they had a lackluster performance in the playoffs, getting swept by the Tigers in the Wild Card round. The Astros may be looking into the future with this move. There is not a lot of competition in the division, and dealing with Tucker while he still has a lot of value may allow them to build an even stronger roster for the future. Getting Wesnecki is going to be a looked over move. He is a solid bullpen arm who has team control for a couple more years and can even turn into a starter if need be. What this move may tell us is an Alex Bregman reunion is becoming more and more unlikely. Bringing in Isaac Paredes is most likely the filler or at least the backup if Bregman chooses to sign elsewhere. The biggest part of the deal for the Astros is Cam Smith, who was a first-round draft pick for the Cubs in 2024. He is a third baseman by trait, and the Astros may be looking to him as their future third baseman.
Overall, I think both teams win in this trade. The Astros were able to dump their all-star outfielder while he still has value and were able to fill another hole by receiving Bregman’s replacement at third base. The Cubs, on the other hand, went out and made their big move. They have a proven bat that will sit nicely in the middle of their lineup to give them some much-needed star power. While the rest of the NL Central seems like they are moving their big pieces to benefit their rebuilds, the Cubs are going all in to win the division.
