Pat Hughes compares the Kyle Tucker trade to a franchise-altering signing from 2015

When Pat Hughes compares a move to one of the biggest free-agent signings not just in Chicago Cubs history, but in the history of Chicago sports, you pay attention.

The Hall of Fame broadcaster did just that in an appearance on Marquee Network this week, saying the Kyle Tucker trade sends the same message the Jon Lester signing did a decade ago: "we are now trying to win immediately, this year."

That Lester signing marked the official end of the years-long painful rebuild led by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer and set the stage for the Cubs' rise to the top of the baseball world. Lester led Chicago to an improbable and unexpected NLCS appearance his very first year with the team and followed it up with a runner-up finish in 2016 NL Cy Young balloting, anchoring a dominant starting rotation and helping erase a 108-year championship drought.

During his Cubs career, Lester had a pair of top-10 Cy Young finishes and two All-Star selections. His best season, though, came during the team's 2016 World Series run. The gritty left-hander made 32 starts, pushed past 200 regular season innings and worked to a 2.44 ERA; and let's not forget he earned NLCS co-MVP honors alongside Javier Baez and did everything in his power to help the team come out on top against Cleveland in the Fall Classic, even pitching out of the bullpen on short rest in Game 7.

Tucker has the opportunity to be that impactful, even if just for the 2025 season. One of the most underrated but impactful players in all of baseball, Tucker has the potential to put up numbers we haven't seen in Wrigleyville for the better part of a decade (or maybe even longer). Leading the Cubs back to the postseason for the first time in a full season since 2018 would immediately make him a fan favorite, but we're getting ahead of ourselves there.

What Hughes is saying is simple: the Cubs have been playing small-market, conservative games since the pandemic, always looking to improve around the margins. The Tucker move sent a message to everyone: this team has one goal: return to October - the same message that echoed around the league a decade ago when Lester came to town.