Chicago Cubs Receive Solid Grade for Acquiring Kyle Tucker

The Chicago Cubs recently received a strong grade in the Kyle Tucker deal.

Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) flicks his bat after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have made one of the biggest splashes so far this offseason when they acquired Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in a blockbuster deal. 

Coming into the winter, the Cubs were certainly a team to keep an eye on.

After finishing 2024 over .500 but missing the playoffs, Chicago knew they weren’t far off. 

The organization decided the time to strike was now, and they got aggressive and brought in Tucker from the Astros. The talented outfielder might be one of the most underrated players in baseball, but he is now in the spotlight since the trade. 

The cost for Tucker wasn’t cheap, as the Cubs had to send Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and a Top-100 prospect in Cam Smith to get him, but while it was pricey, it should make Chicago the new favorite in the National League Central. 

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com recently gave the grade of a "B-" to the Cubs for this deal since there are some concerns. 

“The Cubs are giving up a lot of value to obtain just one for-sure season of their new lineup anchor. I have docked them for it in the grade you see above, but my assumption is that after some ho-hum seasons stuck in the middle, the Cubs are making a major push for 2025. Landing Tucker aids that cause considerably, similar to how Juan Soto's one-sure season for the Yankees was a catalyst in getting them back to the World Series. Thus I like this move for the Cubs. I like it a lot. Even if Tucker walks after 2025, they have the prospect base to account for that. In the meantime, they now have a golden opportunity to convince Tucker to sign on for the long term.”

The grade seems very fair for a few different reasons.

When looking at the deal for Chicago, they did have to give up a decent amount in order to get the slugger. The Cubs are going to run a similar risk that the New York Yankees just did with Juan Soto, as the outfielder would be foolish not to test free agency next offseason. 

However, while there is some risk long-term for Chicago, there is no denying that he makes this team much better.

The 27-year-old has had a WAR of 5.0 or higher in three of the last four seasons, and the only campaign he didn’t reach that mark was due to injury. 

The slugger is a complete baseball player and will make the Cubs a much better team now, but they are taking a risk since this could potentially be a one-and-done season in Chicago.