The Chicago Cubs made a major move earlier this offseason which will almost certainly pay off in the short-term but could come back to bite them in the long-term.
In trading with the Houston Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker – one of the best all around players in the sport – the Cubs acquired a superstar the caliber of which it takes to win championships in today’s day and age. Tucker immediately becomes the best player on the roster and trading for him demonstrated to fans in Chicago that this team is serious about winning.
Coming off four consecutive missed playoff appearances and notoriously known for sitting out the pursuits of recent big name free agents, it was beginning to be called into question whether or not ownership valued winning as much as fans.
It was exactly the kind of aggressive move to make the team better Cubs faithful has been waiting for.
For all the upside however, the obvious downside is the fact Tucker becomes a free agent next winter and could be gone from the Windy City just as quickly as he arrived.
Someone who is under team control for the foreseeable future however was sent away to the Astros in the deal with stud infielding prospect Cam Smith potentially being the biggest piece of the trade. Smith immediately became the top prospect in Houston’s farm system and already put up some very solid numbers in just one season of minor league ball.
In his first 32 games of professional baseball across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A in 2024, Smith slashed a ridiculous .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs and 24 RBI coming off a stellar season for the Florida State Seminoles where he posted an OPS of 1.142.
Chicago knew they were dealing away a potential future franchise cornerstone in Smith, but it may be even more painful than they thought in the wake of a massive day for the 22-year-old.
In four plate appearances on Tuesday afternoon, Smith walked twice and homered twice, one to the opposite field and the other to deep right center field.
Smith has drawn serious praise from coaches, teammates, and fans all throughout camp and may have been even better than advertised when the Cubs put him in the deal. Looking like a future perennial All-Star, dealing away Smith could come to haunt Chicago for decades.
Re-signing Tucker for the long haul would make dealing away a player of Smith’s caliber worth it, but it remains to be seen if the Cubs are actually willing to make the kind of serious high nine-figure offer to make it happen.
Unless Chicago wins a championship this season or is able to keep Tucker for longer than just a one-year rental, it’s safe to say Cubs fans are going to be pained with regret every time Smith hits a home run for a very long time.