Report: Preliminary Kyle Tucker Trade Talks Have Included Isaac Paredes, Seiya Suzuki
Just as I was getting ready to write up something about a hypothetical package for Kyle Tucker, a report from Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic shed some light on the names being discussed. Both Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes have been targeted by the Astros, which makes sense because Houston would want to have an immediate replacement for Tucker while also providing a fallback in case Alex Bregman leaves in free agency. However, the belief remains that the Cubs are “highly unlikely” to move Suzuki even though he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for the right situation.
Paredes, on the other hand, represents a near-perfect fit in part because trading him clears a path for Matt Shaw to be the Cubs’ everyday third baseman next season. Questions about Shaw’s fitness to play the hot corner still exist, though they were at least partially answered by his play during the recent Premier12 tournament that saw him lead Team USA to a bronze medal. The Astros are also reportedly interested in Cam Smith, the Cubs’ top pick in the 2024 draft, though the Cubs shouldn’t have to part with him to get something done.
Cody Bellinger has been linked to the Astros recently as well, though the sense is that the Cubs would prefer to move him in a different trade. While he would provide a solid replacement for Tucker, their salary discrepancy means the Cubs would have to kick in either money or better prospects. Given what is expected to be a fairly strong market for his services, working something out with another team probably gets the Cubs a more favorable deal.
During his remarks to the media on Wednesday morning from the Winter Meetings in Dallas, agent Scott Boras acknowledged the strong possibility that his client will be traded.
“Jed told us they have some roster configurations they are going to examine,” Boras explained. “That’s really all they’ve said to us. It’s always nice when teams want you. Cody and I have been talking a lot about it. Whenever a player is in this situation, there’s always an expectancy and we also know where Cody is at in his career, where his contract is.”
“I think he’s gonna be going to a very competitive team if it happens. And if he stays in Chicago, that’ll be a place he’s very welcome.”
Okay, back to Tucker and what it would take to get him. I’ve never been much of a trade proposal guy, so I’m leaning on my friend Greg Zumach of North Side Bound for a little assistance. Using previous deals for other one-year-of-control stars Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto as a template, Zumach’s proposal features Paredes, Owen Caissie, third base prospect Cole Mathis, and Hayden Wesneski — or Ben Brown if the Cubs needed to bump things up a little — in exchange for Tucker and reliever Ryan Pressly.
Paredes would get an offensive bump in Houston, where his extreme pull approach would be aided by the Crawford Boxes in that short left field. Only Cincinnati is on par with Daikin Park in terms of expected home runs for the third baseman over the course of his career, and only Baltimore — which is moving the outfield fences back in for next year — had a lower expected total than Wrigley Field’s 13 this past season. Paredes’ fit at Wrigley Field was always dubious, but his value to the Astros would be higher because of the park factor and his modest projected salary of $6.9 million for 2025.
Caissie would serve as a Suzuki surrogate at around 1/16 the price, so he’d really be the centerpiece of the deal. He’s also expendable because landing Tucker and keeping Suzuki means he’s got nowhere to play other than Iowa. Mathis was the Cubs’ second pick in this summer’s draft and would augment the haul at the hot corner while also giving him a clearer path to the big leagues than he’s currently got. Wesneski or Brown gives the Astros an MLB-ready pitcher with the ability to start or work multiple innings of relief to replace Pressly.
The Cubs would get a big upgrade in Tucker, who instantly becomes their best hitter and could blossom into the star they’ve lacked since trading away their World Series heroes. The 35-year-old Pressly was demoted to setup duties following the acquisition of Josh Hader, but he activated a $14 million vesting option for 2025 by surpassing 45 appearances. Moving him would allow the Astros to clear salary while giving the Cubs an experienced late-inning reliever who keeps the ball in the yard.
Various other names have obviously been discussed and the Cubs have competition in the way of the Yankees — who are also in the mix for Bellinger — and other teams, so who knows how this could all end up working out. But if the Astros are willing to accept something even close to what’s laid out above, Hoyer needs to jump on it now and then get a Bellinger trade done so Tom Ricketts can green-light a $40 million AAV extension before Tucker’s plane lands in Chicago.