For most Astros fans, it came as little surprise when the team finally dealt their star right fielder to Chicago, but it was still a punch to the gut. Tucker wasn’t just an All-Star caliber player, he was a fan favorite and home grown product. But knowingย that he would want mega bucks after the 2025 season meant the Astros would do something they rarely do: move a player approaching free agency.
Prior to this deal, players like Carlos Correa and George Springer had been allowed to walk. Just this offseason, Alex Bregman left for the Red Sox. But, in those cases, there were question marks surrounding the now former Astros (age, health) that made them think twice about doling out huge, long contracts. Tucker was both young and healthy, which is what made trading him not just possible, but painful.
With less than a month of the season underway, let’s take a look at each player the Astros got in return and Tucker to assess where we are at the moment.
Kyle Tucker
.324/.442/.648 – 1.092 OPS – 5 homers, 18 RBI
Contract Status: Free Agent after This Season
Tucker has been one of the best players in baseball early this season. He is hitting crushing long balls and playing stellar defense in the Cubs outfield. But his contract status looms over Chicago like a black cloud, particularly since Vlad Guerrero, Jr. signed his massive deal with the Blue Jays. Tucker is unlikely to even discuss an extension and it has been made pretty clear he intends to seek a deal similar to Guerrero’s massive 14-year $500 million deal, something the Cubs are unlikely able to afford. It’s exactly the situation the Astros wanted to avoid.
Isaac Paredes
.276/.382/.448 – .831 OPS – 3 homers, 9 RBI
Contract Status: Arbitration Eligible after This Season, Free Agent in 2028
The most immediately impactful part of the trade was for Paredes, who immediately filled the gaping hole at third base left by Bregman. Paredes’ pull-happy hitting is perfectly paired with the short porch in Daikin Park’s left field, as demonstrated by three home runs in the last three games. Defensively, he has been very solid at the hot corner and even better than advertised at times. At just 26, he has a chance to be the Astros starting third baseman for a long time.
Cam Smith
.229/.308/.371 – .679 OPS – 1 homer, 6 RBI
Contract Status: Rookie Deal
Out of nowhere, Smith emerged in training camp and simply would not be denied a spot on the roster. While his natural position is on the infield, the move to right has come fairly easily for Smith, who is a tremendous athlete. While he scuffled out of the gate at the dish, he has quickly improved with his first home run over the weekend and an eye for the strike zone that belies his age. With only 34 games in professional baseball before this season (none above AA), few expected him to make the Opening Day roster, let alone be an everyday contributor. He’s way ahead of schedule and looks like an absolutely brilliant find by the Astros.
Hayden Wesneski
1-1 – 4.00 ERA – 21 K, 7 BB – 18 IP
Contract Status: Arbitration Eligible after This Season, Free Agent in 2030
No one every doubted Wesneski’s stuff, but would he be able to be a full time starter? Thus far, three long balls against the Angels aside, Wesneski has been a fantastic back of the rotation starter for a team that was a little thin in that department before Spencer Arrighetti broke his thumb. The fact that Wesneski does have experience playing out of the bullpen is also a huge plus in case the team needs some flexibility as the season goes along.
Overall
Look, would the Astros love to have Tucker on their roster? Of course. But, there is simply no way they were going to offer him 14 years and half a billion dollars to remain in right field, so GM Dana Brown did the best he could in landing three guys that wound up as starters.
Paredes appears to be a solid, every day third baseman with a bat tuned to his home park. Wesneski could be a guy who plays years in the league as a starter-slash-reliever on a team with an outstanding team of coaches who make pitchers better whenever they join the team. And Smith has been a revelation with boundless energy, a powerful bat and a veteran’s nose for the game. He could end up being the best player in this deal within a couple years.
No one is going to say the Astros won this trade based on where we are now, but they certainly could argue they are near break even with the potential to swap three young starters for one superstar within a couple seasons.
