Kyle Tucker says he is open to long-term deal with Cubs after trade from Astros

Kyle Tucker played his first major league games at Wrigley Field when the Houston Astros visited the Chicago Cubs in April. It was cold, he said, and it was a lot of fun.

“Those fans love their Cubs,” Tucker said. “That’s what it feels like, you know, the away side.”

Now you can check it from the local computer.

The Cubs acquired Tucker in a trade last week, inserting the all-around star into a lineup that needed another dangerous bat. The right fielder was limited to 78 games this year due to a broken shin, but still hit 23 home runs and drove in 49 runs.

The price was considerable: Third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and highly regarded prospect Cam Smith were sent to Houston, but Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer felt it was worth it. Even for a player who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

“We have a lot of really good players on the team. “We are very balanced,” Hoyer said Tuesday in his first public comments since the trade. “But I felt like we were missing that kind of consolidation (wins above replacement), I would say, in our roster in one player. And obviously Tucker is one of the best players in baseball, period.”

The trade for the three-time All-Star is Hoyer’s boldest move yet since the Cubs went 83-79 this season and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Matthew Boyd was added to the rotation when he finalized a two-year, $29 million deal on Dec. 7, and catcher Carson Kelly agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million deal last week.

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Chicago had a surplus of outfielders after acquiring Tucker, so it traded Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees on Tuesday. The Cubs also agreed to send the Yankees $5 million as part of the deal for right-hander Cody Poteet, a person familiar with the negotiations told the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.

The move creates more financial flexibility for Chicago that it could use to shore up its bullpen, or possibly for a veteran infielder in case top prospect Matt Shaw isn’t ready to fill its vacancy at third base yet.

“It’s still early in the offseason,” Hoyer said before news of the Bellinger trade began to break. “And there are certainly a lot of players out there and our team is not complete. … We’re not done.”

The catching situation appears set, with Kelly joining Miguel Amaya behind the plate. Kelly played for Detroit and Texas this year, hitting .238 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 91 games.

Kelly, a 30-year-old Chicago native, grew up rooting for the Cubs.

“It’s pretty special. I mean, my family grew up there,” Kelly said. “We moved when I was very young. But my dad grew up there. My mom grew up there. “My uncle still lives there.”

The active offseason for Chicago comes with Hoyer entering the final year of his contract with the Cubs. But he dismissed the idea that that was a factor in his decision-making. He also declined to discuss the possibility of an extension for him with the team.

“My own situation like this is not a concern. … My job is always to be the best administrator of the organization,” Hoyer said.

From Hoyer’s perspective, that means making deals like Tucker, one of the best hitters in baseball since 2021. He hit .284 with 29 home runs, an American League-best 112 RBIs, and 30 steals in 2023.

Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, was at Houston teammate Myles Straw’s wedding in Florida while the trade was being finalized.

“I try to take care of doing all the groomsmen stuff and getting ready for their wedding and at the same time trying to take some calls and stuff that day,” he said. “Funny how that all turned out.”

Tucker had been with Houston since he was selected by the team with the fifth pick in the 2015 amateur draft. He played in three World Series with the Astros and won them all in 2022.

On the brink of free agency, Tucker said he is open to talks with Chicago about a long-term deal. Hoyer also indicated the team was interested and promised to keep those conversations going between Tucker’s team and the organization.

“Chicago is definitely a great city to play in. Great city overall,” Tucker said. “So I’m open to anything.”

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB