The Kyle Tucker trade chatters are finally at rest. Tucker has been officially traded to the Chicago Cubs, who got the All-Star outfielder by trading their three players, Isaac Paredes, Hayden Weskeski, and Cam Smith. By looking at the trade, it might not seem fair. Three for one? But do not forget Kyle Tucker is one of the best hitters out there.
Even the Yankees were after Tucker, but they did not agree to the amount his now-former team, the Astros, was asking for. The 27-year-old will join a roster full of talent and somewhat crowded, too. But the Cubs have a plan. They are looking to make more trades, starting with Cody Bellinger. They have also been in talks with Seiya Suzuki about his no-trade clause.
The Cubs get Kyle Tucker in trade
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The Cubs president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, is under a lot of pressure right now. He has to lead the Cubs back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after the team finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the previous two seasons. Later in the day, the Cubs also declared that they had reached an agreement with Chicago-born catcher Carson Kelly for a two-year, $11.5 million contract. This season, he batted .238 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 91 games while playing for Detroit and Texas.
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This trade is particularly fruitful for the Astros because of Parades’ ability to play at third base. There is still no guarantee that Alex Bregman will return, and if he doesn’t, the newly traded player can be a good option. In 153 games this season, 25-year-old Parades hit .238 with 80 RBIs and 19 home runs. After Tampa Bay selected him to the AL All-Star team, he was transferred to Chicago in July. But Houston’s GM Dana Brown is pretty adamant about bringing Bregman back; it’s like the team can’t function without him.
What will happen to the Astros now?
It’s not like Houston is a weak team; in the last decade, the Houston Astros have established themselves as one of the most dominant forces in Major League Baseball. The squad has won two World Series titles and a good number of playoff appearances. Since 2015, only the Los Angeles Dodgers have had more victories. The Astros’ continuous pursuit of championships has left their prospect pool somewhat thin.
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This all has happened because of their consistent trading. The crew has a habit of trading for young talent to upgrade their roster. So, when they did the same to Kyle Tucker, nobody was astonished. According to sources close to the organization who spoke with Yahoo Sports, there was a clear understanding that Tucker’s trade value was high, and moving him could provide the team with the young talent it desperately needed.
Now that the deal is official, Paredes may start in the Astros’ infield and lineup right away. Wesneski may be able to play a variety of positions for Houston, either in the rotation or the bullpen, depending on how the rest of their offseason plays out. Additionally, the Astros may have found their future third baseman in Smith, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the Cubs’ seventh-best prospect.