Shocking Blockbuster Trade Would Send Cubs Fan Favorite to Houston
By Zoe Grossman
A previously silent Cubs offseason has suddenly become the hottest of stoves thanks to a brand new trade rumor involving Astros All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.
As the MLB Winter Meetings get underway in Dallas, sources told The Athletic writers Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome that the Astros and Cubs are discussing a potential trade that would bring Tucker to Chicago and possibly send Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes to Houston.
Tucker hit .289 with 23 home runs and a .993 OPS in 2024, so the asking price for the 27-year-old three-time All-Star is understandably steep.
The Astros were also reportedly "very, very" interested in Paredes before the Cubs scooped him up at the trade deadline this past year, but it will certainly take more than him to convince the Astros to get rid of Tucker.
Though Suzuki is a big name to move the needle with the Astros, you have to think that the Cubs can find a better trade option without dumping one of their best hitters straight up for Tucker. Suzuki has a full no-trade clause but was reportedly unhappy with only playing at DH at the end of the season, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
If Jed Hoyer can find a way to get Suzuki and Tucker in the same lineup, it would be a new lease on life for a team that in the past weeks seemed to be slipping away from years of contention.
The Cubs should be able to leverage the talent in their top farm system to get a deal done with the Astros for Tucker. In place of Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, and top Cubs prospects such as Owen Caissie and Cam Smith should be pieces that the Cubs bring to the negotiating table. Bellinger has previously been discussed as a trade piece with the Yankees, who are also said to be in on Tucker.
It seems unlikely that the Astros would want to help boost the roster of one of their most bitter AL rivals, which makes it all the more important for the Cubs to pull the trigger.