The Chicago Cubs introduce a new offensive weapon, acquiring All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday. per multiple reports.
In return, the Astros will reportedly receive three players: infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third baseman Cam Smith.
Tucker has played his entire career with the Astros, starting in 2018. He won a World Series with the team in 2022 and has won a number of awards in recent seasons, including three All-Star selections, a Gold Glove (2022) and a silver slugger (2023). Tucker missed time this season due to a right shin injury, but still received his third straight All-Star selection.
In 2024, Tucker finished with a .289/.408/.585 slash line. The 27-year-old outfielder had 80 hits, 49 RBI and 23 home runs, while picking up 11 stolen bases.
Paredes, the 25-year-old infielder starring in the Astros’ comeback, finished the season with a .238 batting average with 19 home runs. He started the season in Tampa but was traded to Chicago at the trade deadline. Paredes plays third and first base and will be a versatile infielder for the Astros. Houston will be Paredes’ fourth MLB team in his short career.
Wesneski, who has a career 3.93 ERA, made his MLB debut with Chicago in 2022. The right-handed pitcher was optioned to the minors at the start of the 2024 season.
Smith was Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, with the Cubs selecting him 14th overall out of the state of Florida.
The Tucker trade will likely create a domino effect, with the New York Yankees potentially looking to make deals with both teams. The Yankees could opt to trade for Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, now that Chicago has landed another strong outfielder, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, and could also make a play for former Astro and free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
