Houston Astros Receive Poor Grade for Trading Away Kyle Tucker

The Houston Astros didn't receive a strong grade in the Kyle Tucker trade.

Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) reacts after hitting a RBI double against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The offseason took a shocking turn for the Houston Astros, as their run of dominance in the American League might be coming to an end. 

After seven straight years of making the American League Championship, the Astros suffered a defeat in the Wild Card round to the Detroit Tigers.

While this was a surprising elimination, it didn’t seem at the time it would be the end of an era in Houston. 

However, this offseason, the Astros made the bold decision to trade Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, marking a massive shakeup in Houston.

In return, the Astros got two players who could be the short-term and long-term answer at third base, the position that free-agent Alex Bregman plays. 

The trade seems like a clear indication that Bregman’s time in Houston has also come to an end. 

While the Astros got a good package back from the Cubs, this was a team that was likely going to make the postseason prior to the trade, and could have once again compete in the American League. 

Recently, Bradford Doolittle of EPSN spoke about the blockbuster move, and he didn’t love it for the Astros. He gave Houston a grade of a C+ for the deal, and with the Cubs a B-, thinking the Astros losing this trade. 

“For me, this is really about 2025, because on an Astros team with a narrowing window of contention, they need to be valuing the near term in advance of an eventual reset. The minor league system is in need of a major restocking. Meanwhile, the eroding big league roster is anchored by a Hall of Famer in Jose Altuve who is reaching his mid-30s, and a devastating hitter in Yordan Alvarez who has bad knees. One by one, the greats of the dying Astros dynasty are departing.”

If Houston didn’t trade Tucker and brought back Bregman, they certainly would have been one of the best teams on paper once again in 2025.

However, the organization has obviously made the decision that they aren’t going all-in next season to try and win, as it feels like they might be doing a bit of a rebuild on the fly. 

Since there is still a lot of talent on the team, they could still make the postseason, but this doesn’t feel like a title contender anymore. 

Winning a World Series is not an easy thing to accomplish, and Houston might have thrown away that chance next year.

While the players they got in return for Tucker were good, punting on a chance to compete with a veteran roster is not, making the poor grade they received understandable.