Tuesday was not the day for you if you are trapped in the danger of thinking about Chicago Cubs' players of yesteryear.
With Cactus League and Grapefruit League play having their time in the sun, it is once again time for Cubs fans to proclaim that Kris Bryant is back. Of course, Cubs fans will always have an emotional connection to Bryant. And. with the recent trade of Alexander Canario, the Bryant trade from the 2021 season has come back to light. But the fact is that the Bryant Cubs fans knew--Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, and World Series winner--is not the same player who is currently with the Colorado Rockies. There will certainly be the crowd out there who will take Bryant's home run for the Rockies on Tuesday as an announcement of his revenge season but truth be told, they will forget about him once he inevitably lands on the IL before April is over.
Kris Bryant - Colorado Rockies (1)* pic.twitter.com/ZgeQy1WAiN
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) February 25, 2025
Even former Cubs' former first base prospect Matt Mervis joined in on the home run party on Tuesday. Mervis, now with he Miami Marlins, has a a pathway to regular playing time at the Major League level with the Marlins this season after being traded by the Cubs in exchange for Vidal Bruján in January.
And it’s out of here 💥 First homer of Spring Training goes to Matt Mervis pic.twitter.com/V4B4zH3x4a
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) February 25, 2025
But, the performance on Tuesday that certainly caught Cubs fans eyes was Cam Smith's power display with the Houston Astros.
Cam Smith, @MLBPipeline's No. 59 overall prospect, goes the other way for his first #SpringTraining home run 💪 pic.twitter.com/5sNQU849E2
— MLB (@MLB) February 25, 2025
Smith homered twice in the Astros' 8-5 victory over the New York Mets. No, it was not a signal that the Cubs lost the Kyle Tucker trade. If anything, it was a reminder of the type of power that Smith has in his bat.
Here is the thing that will trump all of these home runs, if the Cubs are one of the best teams in the National League, it won't matter what Bryant, Mervis, or Smith do in their respective seasons. I am not saying the Cubs have the equivalent of Freddie Freeman on their roster but do you really think the Dodgers even realize the ascension Michael Busch is on? No. Part of being a contending team is realizing there will be good players you give up if it means you have great players. Tucker is the Cubs' first dip into that mindset.