Jed Hoyer takes a massive swing, lands Kyle Tucker in trade with Houston Astros

Following a Winter Meetings cycle that was filled with noise surrounding a potential deal between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros, the Cubs have indeed landed superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker.

News that the Astros were willing to move Tucker first popped up on Tuesday when Houston general manager Dana Brown didn't rule out the team dealing the slugging outfielder this winter. Tucker is set to become a free agent following 2025 and, assuming health, is in line for a lucrative contract next offseason.

Entering the offseason, following a second-consecutive season where 83 wins was not enough for the Cubs to reach the postseason, Jed Hoyer was faced with the task of getting the team closer to the 90-win mark.

The arrival of Tucker certainly gets the Cubs closer to that goal. With a minimum of 300 plate appearances, only two hitters had a higher wRC+ than Tucker in 2024--Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Tucker is the superstar bat that the Cubs have long needed in their starting lineup.

Despite rumors throughout the week that Seiya Suzuki would be involved in the trade with the Astros, Isaac Paredes is the main piece in the deal from the Cubs' Major League roster. Given that the Astros are likely losing Alex Bregman in free agency, Paredes is an ideal replacement given his extreme-pull tendencies.

Hayden Wesneski quickly fell out of favor in the Cubs' starting rotation following his struggles as the team's fifth starter to open the 2023 season. The swing-man experience wasn't a complete success either, so, given the Cubs' pitching depth throughout the organization, no surprise that he was the Major League-caliber pitcher included in the trade.

There certainly is a sting to the Cubs losing Cam Smith after he finished the 2024 season with Double-A Tennessee despite being drafted by the organization months earlier. However, a trade for Tucker is the very reason why the Cubs' built their farm system up. 2025 is a season where the Cubs want to contend and Tucker will be a large reason why.

Next October, we can worry about whether or not the Cubs will be able to sign Tucker to a new contract but on this day, this a deal that the Chicago rightfully had no reservations about making.