The Chicago Cubs made one of their most significant trades in recent memory, acquiring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in exchange for a three-player package headlined by third baseman Isaac Paredes.
The Cubs have faced criticism among fans and members of the media for their lack of involvement at the highest end of the free agent market, one that saw superstar Juan Soto sign the largest contract in sports history earlier this month.
Positioned with a wealth of young prospect talent, one of the better starting rotations in baseball and a division that remains completely up-for-grabs, this offseason presents a grand opportunity for the North Siders to take advantage of their assets and scenario to make themselves favorites in the National League Central.
Friday's trade for Tucker is the first real signal that the Cubs are indeed intending to measurably improve and compete in 2025, though questions about the team's long-term future and willingness to spend big will only grow louder upon Tucker's acquisition.
The trade also marks a departure from many Cubs trades of the 2020s that have seen much of the 2016 World Series core, in addition to Yu Darvish, being shipped off in exchange of prospects.
Though the Cubs did move to acquire infielder Jeimer Candelario near the 2023 trade deadline, the trade for Tucker came at a higher price for a much more significant return.
Coming off another All-Star campaign that saw the outfielder post nearly 5 WAR in less than half a season that was limited by injury, Tucker's age and track record make him one of the best hitters in baseball, a resume that will almost certainly place him near the top of the 2026 free agent class.
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The Astros, who have made the postseason for eight consecutive years and won two championships in that stretch, moved to trade the All-Star partially due to Tucker being under team control for just one more year.
Shall Tucker continue his offensive prowess as a Cub in 2025, it would almost certainly bring back memories of the 2023 Cubs campaign, in which Cody Bellinger's resurgence with the club on a one-year deal led to months-long calls from fans to maintain the former league MVP.
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While Bellinger remains a Cub as he's slated to enter the second year of a three-year contract, the acquisition of Tucker makes the team even more likely to follow up on widespread rumors that they're shopping the utility player, with the New York Yankees among the possible suitors.
There's no debating that Tucker's acquisition makes the Cubs a markedly better team offensively in 2025, but the long-term picture for the club remains fairly uncertain.
While shortstop Dansby Swanson remains under contract for five more seasons with the team, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, both of whom signed three-year deals that began before last season, will be free agents following the 2026 season.
There's no question that a plethora of promising Cubs prospects will get opportunities to shine at the big league level, though the club's commitment to shell out money for the mega-deals that superstars have signed to in recent years remains very much so in doubt.
The Cubs' largest free agent contract in franchise history remains the eight-year, $184 million pact Jason Heyward reached with the club nearly nine years ago to the date, just one of five nine-figure deals the Cubs have made in team history.
Another season in line with Tucker's current track record while entering his age-29 season would likely command a long-term contract well above $200 million, a mark the Cubs have never eclipsed.
Despite being MLB's fourth-most valuable team at a worth of $4.22 billion as of March 2024, the Cubs are one of 12 teams to never reach a deal worth $200 million or more, a mark surpassed by teams in much smaller markets such as the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
While the Cubs paved their way to a World Series championship in 2016 on the backs of an incredible core of youth talent and the big-time acquisition of starting pitcher Jon Lester, a more lucrative free agent market marks a changed reality nearly a decade later.
Though the Cubs' acquisition of Tucker makes the North Siders a much more legitimate threat to compete in the NL Central, it also signals the need to spend big on the free agent market to maintain the talent on the roster.
