The projected Cubs starting lineup post-Kyle Tucker trade is the stuff of dreams

It's official. Jed Hoyer got his man, pulling off a blockbuster trade that will bring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for 2025. It came at a steep cost, including third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and top 100 prospect and 2024 first-rounder Cam Smith, but that's what it takes to land a player of this caliber.

The offseason is by no means done and Hoyer and the Cubs still have plenty of chips at their disposal to further improve the roster. But given the excitement, it felt worth thinking through what the team's Opening Day lineup might look like with Tucker in the mix come March.

Projecting a Cubs Opening Day lineup with Kyle Tucker in right field

1. Ian Happ - LF
2. Kyle Tucker - RF
3. Seiya Suzuki - DH
4. Cody Bellinger - 1B
5. Dansby Swanson - SS
6. Michael Busch - 3B
7. Miguel Amaya - C
8. Nico Hoerner - 2B
9. Pete Crow-Armstrong - CF
   
   Justin Steele - SP

Now, all signs point to Cody Bellinger being traded - but as of this writing, he's still in the fold - giving the Cubs a formidable lineup, balanced with a nice mix of veterans and youth. There's still a lot riding on production at the bottom of the order from young players like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya, but those top six spots are nothing to sneeze at.

Paredes' inclusion in the deal opens up a path for top prospect Matt Shaw to seize the third base job, but if the Cubs want to let him open the year at Iowa, Busch could slide over to third, Bellinger could play first and a Suzuki can DH and rotate in as a fourth outfielder. Again, there are just a ton of moving parts and there will no doubt be more changes between now and the spring, but this is where things stand after the front office pulled off its biggest trade in years.