"Astros saw writing on the wall" - Reds HOFer claims Juan Soto's $765,000,000 Mets deal forced Houston to trade Kyle Tucker to Chicago Cubs
Kyle Tucker will become a free agent after the end of the 2025 season. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs by the Houston Astros in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and MLB Pipeline’s No. 73 overall prospect, third baseman Cam Smith.
The move surprised many, but Reds Hall of Famer Sean Casey believes that it may be because the Astros aren't willing to give Tucker a contract similar to Juan Soto's record 15-year, $765 million contract. Casey compared Soto and Tucker's numbers on Monday's episode of The Mayor's Office podcast:
"Tucker's—if you put his numbers against Soto's, some of his numbers are better than Soto's," Casey said (4:05 onwards). "When this guy plays, he’s a better defender, runs the bases better, and steals bags. I mean, this guy's a star, and I just don't think that the Astros.
"I think now that Soto signed, the Astros saw the writing on the wall, like, 'We’re not willing to give him $600 million.' Yeah, you know, I think that could be the price tag if he stays healthy and plays. That could be the price tag."
Sean Casey analyzes Kyle Tucker trade from Cubs POV
The Chicago Cubs haven't been competitive for a while. They need "stars," as per Sean Casey, and Kyle Tucker is one of them.
"I think it's a great move for the Cubs," Casey said. "I just feel like they haven’t had a star in a while here. You know, where are the stars? You go back to Rizzo and Chris Bryant, Javy Báez.
"As soon as they traded everybody, they’ve had good players—I mean, Ian Happ's a great big leaguer, Bellinger's a great big leaguer—they’ve got some great big leaguers, but no stars, right? You know, Kyle Tucker's a star."
However, Casey also said that the Cubs let go of good players, including Cam Smith whom he raved about the most.
Nevertheless, Casey compared it to the trade the Yankees made for Juan Soto. They let go of some sharp relievers and starting pitcher Michael King who's now doing well in San Deigo.
It remains to be seen how Tucker could add value to the Cubs in 2025.