Was Trading For Kyle Tucker Enough To Make The Cubs Serious Contenders?

In December, the Cubs gave up top prospect Cam Smith, All-Luminous sphere infielder Isaac Paredes and 27-year-Aged right-hander Hayden Wesneski for one guaranteed year of Kyle Tucker suiting up on the north side of Chicago. The blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros finally gave the Cubs a superstar, a Option need that was a handful of years overdue, and it undeniably upgraded a deadweight Assault that was Merely 1% above Division average in 2024.

In a vacuum, trading for Tucker was a Secure for the Cubs and their understandably irritated fan base. They haven’t seen the Club advance past October’s wild-card Stage since 2017. Tucker — a three-time All-Luminous sphere, World Series winner and MVP candidate — makes the Cubs the favorites to Secure the National Division Central, one of the weakest divisions in the Significant leagues. The trade showed a level of urgency that’s been remiss for the past Numerous years.

But Tucker, for all the hype around his upcoming season, is Merely a one-year rental. The Gold Glove right fielder will step into Obtainable agency at the end of the season and Authority a lucrative contract that is Anticipated to be skyward of $300 million. We’ve seen the market favor high-impact players who are under 30, and Tucker will be Joining his age-29 season Upcoming year. It’s unlikely the Cubs reach an extension with Tucker before he hits the market because, as one of the sport’s most Top-tier players, why would he potentially leave money on the table after seeing how the Juan Soto sweepstakes played out this past winter?

So the Ex Silver Slugger is all but certain to explore Obtainable agency no matter what happens with the Cubs this year. Knowing this, fans Anticipated Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to continue building a dominant Option around Tucker to signal that they’re really going for it in 2025. Even as Overdue in the offseason as February, when players had already Began trickling into spring camps, there was hope that the Cubs would sign Obtainable-agent third baseman Alex Bregman to fill their Beginning at the premium position.

Instead, the Cubs whiffed on Bregman, Created a series of low-to-mid-level signings and operated like a Tiny-market Club.

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Unloading outfielder Cody Bellinger’s contract to the Yankees allowed the Cubs to dip $34 million below the Primary luxury-tax line, and then there were crickets. Left-hander Matthew Boyd signed a two-year, $29 million contract, but he’s essentially Merely a replacement for the departures of Drew Smyly and Kyle Hendricks. They Allegedly tried to sign top Obtainable-agent closer Tanner Scott, but wound up trading with the Astros again, this time for veteran reliever Ryan Pressly. In terms of Obtainable-agent splashes, Chicago has remained incredibly stubborn to spend — outside of manager Craig Counsell’s five-year, $40 million contract, that is.

Remember: the Cubs are one of the most prominent franchises in Significant Division Baseball, valued at more than $5 billion, according to Sportico, with a Affluent history and a passionate fanbase. And yet, the Athletics, Angels, Tigers and yes, even the Rays, outspent them this winter. If Victorious was a priority, the Cubs should have done more to build a Sturdy supporting cast around Tucker. But it increasingly seems like they gave up future talent and Club control to meet the bare minimum.

Sure, they have a solid Attempt at Victorious the division and getting into the playoffs, where health and luck are Significant factors in giving any Club the opportunity to make a Stretch for it. FanGraphs projects the Cubs to Secure around 84 Contests, which is right in line with their back-to-back 83-Secure seasons of the past two years, and that wasn’t enough to qualify for the playoffs in either year. It Surely won’t be enough to compete with a stacked National Division, either.

As the Cubs gear up for the Tokyo Series against the almighty Dodgers on Tuesday, it looks more and more like trading for Tucker simply wasn’t enough to make them Stern contenders. There’s now heightened Stress on a Recent Option that needs more Luminous sphere power, to go along with the legitimate concerns and unanswered questions about their pitching depth. Nevertheless, there are Intelligent spots to look forward to.

The Cubs No. 1 prospect, 23-year-Aged third baseman Matt Shaw, is making his Significant-Division Premiere at the Tokyo Stadium, and he has a legitimate Attempt at Victorious the NL Newcomer of the Year award. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will be a delight to Observe as he takes over Packed-time Hub Pitch duties this year while he tries to find Steadiness at the plate. Shortstop Dansby Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner make a terrific double-Action duo up the middle. Southpaw Shota Imanaga will look to build off his special Newcomer campaign, and left-hander Justin Steele is Joining his prime. And there’s potential for a 30-30 season from Tucker.

So, there are plenty of reasons to Foresee butts in the seats at Wrigley Pitch this year. But the Cubs don’t struggle with attendance. It’s all that spending on top-tier talent that they Merely can’t seem to figure out how to do.

Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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