Kyle Tucker played his first major league games at Wrigley Field when the Houston Astros faced the Chicago Cubs in April. It was cold, he said, but also a lot of fun.
“Those fans love their Cubs,” Tucker said. “That’s kind of how it felt from, you know, the visiting side.” Now he will get to experience it from the home side.
The Cubs traded for Tucker last week, adding the well-rounded star to a lineup that needed another strong hitter. Tucker, the right fielder, played only 78 games this year due to a broken shin but still managed to hit 23 homers and drive in 49 runs.
The trade cost the Cubs a lot — third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski, and top prospect Cam Smith were sent to Houston — but Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer felt it was worth it. Even though Tucker is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
“We have a lot of really good players on the team. We’re very balanced,” Hoyer said on Tuesday, his first public comments since the trade.
“But it did feel like we lacked, that kind of, consolidation of (wins above replacement), I would say, on our roster in one player. And obviously Tucker is just one of the best players in baseball, period.”
This trade for the three-time All-Star is the boldest move Hoyer has made so far after the Cubs finished 83-79 this season, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Hoyer also added pitcher Matthew Boyd, who finalized a $29 million, two-year contract on Dec. 7, and signed catcher Carson Kelly to an $11.5 million, two-year deal last week.
With Tucker on the team, the Cubs had an extra outfielder, so they traded Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees on Tuesday. The Cubs also agreed to send the Yankees $5 million as part of the deal for pitcher Cody Poteet.
This move gives Chicago more financial flexibility, which could be used to strengthen its bullpen or perhaps sign a veteran infielder if top prospect Matt Shaw is not ready to play third base yet.
“It’s still early in the offseason,” Hoyer said before the Bellinger trade was announced. “And certainly there’s a lot of players out there, and our team’s not complete. … We’re not done.”
The catching situation seems settled with Kelly joining Miguel Amaya behind the plate. The Cubs also traded catcher Matt Thaiss to the White Sox for cash on Tuesday. Thaiss had been acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Nov. 20, also for cash.
Kelly played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games. The 30-year-old Chicago native grew up as a Cubs fan.
“It’s pretty special. I mean, my family grew up there,” Kelly said. “We moved when I was really young. But my dad grew up there. My mom grew up there. My uncle still lives there.”
Hoyer is in the final year of his deal with the Cubs, but he dismissed the idea that his contract situation affected his decision-making. He also avoided discussing the possibility of an extension for himself with the team.
“My own situation like that, that’s not a concern. … My job always is to be the best steward of the organization,” Hoyer said.
From Hoyer’s point of view, that means making trades like the one for Tucker, who has been one of baseball’s best hitters since 2021. He hit .284 with 29 homers, 112 RBIs (the best in the American League), and 30 steals in 2023.
Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, was at the wedding of his Houston teammate Myles Straw in Florida when the trade was in the works.
“Trying to deal with doing all the groomsmen stuff and getting prepared for their wedding while also trying to field some calls and whatnot on that day,” he said. “Kind of funny how that was all working out.”
Tucker had been with Houston since the Astros selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft. He played in three World Series with the team, winning one in 2022.
With free agency approaching, Tucker said he is open to discussing a long-term deal with the Cubs. Hoyer also expressed interest in those talks but promised to keep the conversations between Tucker’s representatives and the organization.
“Definitely Chicago’s, you know, great city to play in. Great city just in general,” Tucker said. “So I’m open for anything.”
