Cubs acquire Astros OF Tucker for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski

The Chicago Cubs acquired Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith, the teams announced Friday.

Tucker, 27, has a career .870 OPS over seven seasons with the Astros. He’s entering his final year of team control — meaning he’ll be a free agent after next season — and will likely earn about $18 million through the arbitration process.

He will be the Cubs starting right fielder with Seiya Suzuki relegated to designated hitter duty — at least for now. The team still employs INF/OF Cody Bellinger, but he will likely be moved in a separate trade, sources told ESPN.

Tucker played in just 78 games last season because of a shin injury — but will still be the Cubs’ best player. The team has been looking for star-quality production on offense, and they might have found it in the three-time All-Star, who finished fifth in AL MVP voting in 2023.

Paredes, 25, spent half a season with the Cubs after being acquired from the Rays in July. He will likely serve as Alex Bregman’s replacement at third base if he leaves Houston via free agency. Paredes is a dead pull hitter, useful for the short left field fences at Minute Maid Park. He hit 19 home runs last season and has a career .755 OPS over five big league seasons.

Wesneski, 27, has appeared in 68 career games for the Cubs, including 22 as a starter. He has a career 3.93 ERA pitching as a swingman over the past three seasons. He was acquired from the Yankees at the 2022 summer trade deadline.

Smith, 21, was the 14th overall pick out of Florida State in last year’s amateur draft. He made headlines in his brief pro debut, hitting home runs in six straight games for Single-A Myrtle Beach in August. He played mostly third base in college.