Inside The Mariners

Seattle Mariners AL West Rivals, Houston Astros, Pull Off Blockbuster Trade

The Houston Astros traded away outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in return for a pitcher, infielder and a prospect.

Teren Kowatsch

Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker throws his bat after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 21 at Minute Maid Park.
Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker throws his bat after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 21 at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Mariners have been tied in trade conversations for the last several days, with most of the chatter surrounding a potential deal for one of their starting pitchers, Luis Castillo.

But while fans and media debate what the Mariners' next move will be, the club's biggest division rivals and defending American League West champs, the Houston Astros, made a significant trade of their own.

The Astros traded three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in return for infielder Isaac Paredes, prospect Cam Smith and pitcher Hayden Wesneski, per Houston beat reporter Chandler Rome of the Athletic. The deal is pending medicals according to the same report.

Tucker is coming off his third consecutive All-Star season for the Astros. He hit .289 with 23 home runs and 49 RBIs in just 78 games played in 2024. He looked to be an AL MVP candidate before injuries derailed his season.

As for Houston's return, Smith is ranked as the No. 73 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline and is projected for a 2026 call-up. He was drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft and hit .313 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 32 games played. He ended the year with Chicago's Double-A affiliate, the Knoxville Smokies. While there, he hit .263 with two triples and three RBIs in five games played.

Wesneski had a 3.86 ERA in 28 appearances (seven starts) and struck out 67 batters in 67.2 innings pitched. He spent a portion of the year on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain.

The Cubs acquired Paredes at the trade deadline as part of the Tampa Bay Rays' firesale that also netted Seattle outfielder Randy Arozarena.

Paredes struggled while in Chicago. He hit .223 with three home runs and 25 RBIs in 52 games played with the Cubs. He finished the season with a total batting average of .238 to go with 19 home runs and 80 RBIs.

Tucker is on the last year of his contract and is set to earn roughly $16.7 million in arbitration in 2025, per Spotrac. The Astros have stated their interested in bringing back third baseman Alex Bregman, who's reported to be seeking a contract in excess of $200 million.

Houston likely realized they couldn't pay Bregman and Tucker (or even one of them) and got a decent haul in return for the latter. Acquiring Smith might also indicate the Astros don't expect to re-sign Bregman. Paredes is under contract through 2027 and will provide the team coverage at the corner infield spots for several years. Wesneski will help bolster a pitching staff that was racked with injuries in 2024.

Houston made a deal for its future while Chicago made a move to improve the team now. And that might just help open up the American League West, and the American League as a whole, for the Mariners.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

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