Tucker or bust

Here’s where I’m at with the current rumors around the Cubs trading for Kyle Tucker:

When the off-season started — which was basically when the Cubs were eliminated from playoff contention — the consensus among the fans and pundits was that the Cubs needed a superstar bat to raise the floor and ceiling on number of wins. Except for catcher, they had good bats at every position, and there were no catchers available who were going to move the needle.

The trick is that getting that Superstar player is no small task. There were only 4 hitters with an oWAR of 4+ in 2024, and the only dominant player just signed for the GDP of several amall countries. With 37 players overall at over 4+ oWAR, prying one of these players away would require a haul of assets.

The fact that Kyle Tucker is even available is is bit crazy. He was one of those 37 players, coming in at exactly 4.0 oWAR. But this included a long stretch on the IL with an injury. He was actually 3rd in MLB in OPS+ for players over 300 at bats, coming in just ahead of a recently signed Met. The Astros must be sure they will not be able to sign him long-term to be offering him around.

The bottom line to this is that it would be a huge acquisition for the Cubs front office in an attempt to get back to the playoffs in 2025 — a bold move they’ve been seemingly been unable or unwilling to take in the last several off-seasons. If they can thread the needle and acquire Tucker while shedding Bellinger’s salary, it would be impressive.

The price will be steep. And it will be painful to see on of Shaw, Caissie, or Cam Smith get dealt. But if the fans truly want a superstar hitter in 2025, one or more of those players will probably be part of a deal.