Kyle Tucker trade rumors intensify with local Cubs' insider confirmation

Taking you behind the fourth wall, whenever a national reporter suggests that the Chicago Cubs are involved in the sweepstakes for an impact name, there is some skepticism. Skepticism in the sense that the Cubs, in theory, are a big market team, and given the engagement that comes from the fanbase, it's easy to throw them in a rumor for the purpose of driving up clicks.

That's not to say that is exactly what Jon Morosi was doing on Tuesday when he linked the Cubs, along with the Yankees, to a potential trade for Houston Astros' superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker but it didn't raise the alarms as a move that the Cubs were prioritizing.

That sentiment changes when there is local confirmation. That confirmation was provided on Tuesday night as Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (Subscription required) confirmed that the Cubs are intrigued by the idea of trading for Tucker. While confirming that Tucker is the type of superstar bat that would transform the Cubs' lineup, they mention that the Cubs may have more of an urgency to trade for a superstar one year away from free agency than they did last offseason when Juan Soto was traded to the New York Yankees.

While they did caution that the Astros may wind up holding onto Tucker or another team may jump into the mix, the impression from the report is that the Cubs are seriously looking for a way to get Tucker in their starting lineup.

While the anti-Jed Hoyer crowd would still find a way to be skeptical of the move, especially if the fallout includes a trade of Cody Bellinger, if all that is done this offseason is replacing Bellinger's bat with Tucker's, on paper, they instantly become one of the best offensive teams in Major League Baseball.

With the recent rumors of the Cubs wanting to trade Bellinger or, Seiya Suzuki, it has always felt as if there was another shoe to drop. On the surface, trading Bellinger or Suzuki doesn't add up for a Cubs' team that needs to contend in 2025. However, if the other move is the arrival of Tucker, then the Cubs would instantly be a better team today than they were at the end of the 2024 season.