OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MAY 26: Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the … [+]
The Cubs’ 2025 season just got a lot more interesting.
They are trading for one of the best hitters in baseball, right fielder Kyle Tucker.
The three-for-one trade with the Astros that was reported on Friday will clearly be followed by subsequent moves, as it added to an already overcrowded outfield-DH mix. But Tucker adds to the chance they can improve to 90-plus victories in an attempt to overtake Milwaukee in the NL Central.
This may be a one-year, all-in move to get back to the postseason. Tucker is eligible for free agency after next season and likely to require a commitment of $300 million-plus to retain, which seems beyond standard operating procedures of the Cubs’ ownership. But like Juan Soto’s 2024 showcase with the Yankees for his eventual $765-million deal with the Mets, it should be quite a story to follow.
According to multiple reports, Jed Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins are sending third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith to Houston. The inclusion of Paredes opens third base for Matt Shaw, the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, to be along for the full ride in 2025.
It seems clear Hoyer and Hawkins must have a destination in mind for either Cody Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki. By trading either of them while acquiring Tucker they also may be opening up a spot for their No. 2 prospect, left-handed-hitting outfielder Owen Caissie, after next season.
Both Bellinger and Suzuki have two more seasons on their contracts. Bellinger, who was re-signed to a three-year deal before last season, lost some relevance with the development of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and first baseman Michael Busch. That left only one full-time spot in the field between him and Suzuki, and Suzuki’s agent informed the Cubs that his client would be open to a trade if he was being viewed primarily as a DH.
It will be interesting to see what Hoyer and Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts say about potentially signing Tucker to a contract extension that would blow past Jason Heyward’s club record contract of $184 million. But Tucker had indicated to the Astros he was planning to head into free agency after the upcoming season, so Ricketts’ position may be a moot point.
The fun for Wrigley Field fans will be watching Tucker hit sandwiched between Ian Happ and either Bellinger or Suzuki. He is a consistent force unlike few others.
His run-production was a constant as Houston went to three World Series and advanced to the AL Championship Series five years in a row from 2019 through ’23. He has a career slash line of .274/.353/.516 and has generated at least 4.7 rWAR in each of the last four seasons.
Tucker, who is moving into his age-28 season appears to be only now approaching his peak. He delivered a career-best .993 this season despite being out from June 4 through Sept. 5 after suffering a debilitating bone bruise when he fouled a ball off his shin. He killed the ball when he returned, hitting .365 with a 1.040 OPS and four home runs in 18 games.
There’s no financial reason that the Cubs must trade a hitter after adding Tucker. He is arbitration eligible and projected by Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors with a $16 million salary. That’s only $10.75 more than the Paredes projection, and the Cubs were almost $40 million below their Opening Day payroll before making the Tucker trade.
It would be audacious to play Bellinger in center, Tucker in right and Suzuki at DH while using the defensively gifted Cole-Armstrong as a fourth outfield while sending Caissie back to repeat Triple-A after a strong 2024 season at Iowa. But the Cubs could open with that alignment while adjusting at mid-season, if need be.
For now the headline is the Cubs are adding one of the game’s best hitters. Everything else is speculation.
