The Houston Astros traded away all-star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect infielder Cam Smith on Dec. 13.
Tucker played for the Astros for five years, making his debut in 2018. He was a three time all-star, one time Gold Glove winner for his defensive skills, one time Silver Slugger winner for his offensive skills and a world series champion during his time with the Astros.
“[Tucker] was definitely one of our better players on the team,” junior Aiden Vazquez said. “He was always helping us make the postseason and he has a great playing mentality.”
Throughout the years, Tucker was given the nickname “King Tuck” by fans due to his performance on the field both offensively and defensively, such as hitting 125 home runs and having a fielding percentage over .990%.
After personally meeting Tucker, junior Joshua Benetiz saw the work ethic that made Tucker beloved by fans, including his 2022 game winning catch in the World Series.
“It [resembled] his dedication to putting it all out there whenever he’s out there and that stood out to me a lot,” Benetiz said.
Tucker was entering his sixth year as of next season, meaning his full rookie contract was set to expire soon. Rumors of a trade around Tucker began to form during the MLB winter meetings, with both the Cubs and Yankees being huge contenders for trade destinations.
The Astros are traditionally a team known for not being a huge spender in free agency. With longtime Astro Alex Bregman entering free agency this offseason, many such as junior Fransiso Razo believe that the Astros traded away Tucker to make room for to spend money on players like Bregman.
“Kyle Tucker’s an excellent player, so he’s worth a lot of money,” Razo said. “Without him we’d be able to scatter the money he would take along more players and be more financially stable as a team.”
The trade shocked fans due to the trade occurring suddenly for many, as Tucker was regarded as a top tier player among fans.
“I was confused because I was thinking, did we really just trade away [Tucker] for some random players,” Vazquez said. “I started looking into the trade more and realized that Paredes might be pretty good because he’s younger.”
Isaac Paredes, a third baseman the Astros acquired, was deemed the second headliner of this trade due to his recent all star selection.
“I think we got a good deal with Isaac Paredes,” freshman Savion Bantug said. “He is going to be able to hit a lot of home runs in this ballpark due to his power and he proved himself as a true starter last season.”
In the absence of Tucker, the Astros still have outfielders Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Maruico Dubon to cover the hole. It is yet to be seen whether the trade will pay off for the Astros, but fans hope Tucker’s absence won’t lead to a repeat of last season’s premature playoff exit.
“I think we’ll still be the same winning dynasty we have been for the past 10 years and continue to improve under Joe Espeda even without Kyle Tucker,” Benetiz said.
