According to the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Kyle Tucker is close to being traded to the Cubs for a package that includes Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and 2024 14th-overall pick Cam Smith. The move comes after days of speculation that the Astros were attempting to move the All-Star outfielder. Tucker is entering his final year of arbitration and is expected to test the free agent waters next winter.
It remains to be seen how the 2025 free agency landscape will play out over the next 12 months — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might find himself on the market — but Tucker should be the No. 1 prize with the resume he’s put together in Houston. Despite being limited by injuries to 78 games last season, Tucker slashed .289/.408/.585 with a 180 wRC+ in his 339 plate appearances. Since the beginning of 2021, Tucker has 112 home runs, 80 stolen bases and a 145 wRC+. Among qualified position players within that span, his 19.1 fWAR is the 13th-highest mark in baseball.
On the other side, Paredes is an interesting fit in Houston. The 25-year-old’s 2024 campaign was slightly disappointing after registering 31 long balls in a break-out 2023 season, yet his archetype at the plate seems made for the Crawford boxes. Paredes possessed a 53.7% pull rate last season — the third-highest mark in MLB.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
