Chicago Cubs may regret selling star prospect after big game for Astros.
The Chicago Cubs may regret selling a star prospect in an offseason blockbuster trade.
The Chicago Cubs made a big move early this offseason that will certainly benefit them in the short term, but could hurt them in the long term.
By trading with the Houston Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker – one of the game’s best all-around players – the Cubs acquired a superstar with the ability to win championships today. Tucker immediately becomes the best player on the roster and trading for him shows fans in Chicago that this team is serious about winning.
Following four straight years of failing to make the playoffs and earning a reputation for staying out of the pursuit of marquee free agents, there began to be wonder whether the ownership cared as much about winning as the fans did.
This was exactly the kind of offensive move Cubs fans were waiting for to improve the team.
However, despite all the positives, the glaring downside is that Tucker will become a free agent next winter and he could be gone from the Windy City just as quickly as he came.
However, someone who will be in control of the team for the foreseeable future was shipped to the Astros in the deal with stud infielding prospect Cam Smith, possibly the biggest part of the trade. Smith immediately became the top prospect in Houston’s farm system and has already put up some very solid numbers in 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 hit a ridiculous .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in a stellar season for the Florida State Seminoles, where he posted an OPS of 1.142.
Chicago knew they were trading away a potential future franchise cornerstone in Smith, but it may be more painful than they thought after a big day for the 22-year-old.
In four plate appearances on Tuesday afternoon, Smith walked twice and hit a homerun twice, one to opposite field and the other to deep right center field:
Smith has received serious praise from coaches, teammates and fans throughout camp, and when the Cubs included him in the deal, he may have been even better than advertised. Trading Smith, who looks like a future perennial All-Star, could hurt Chicago for decades.
Re-signing Tucker long-term would make sense to trade a player of Smith’s caliber, but it remains to be seen if the Cubs are actually willing to offer a serious nine figures to do so.
Unless Chicago wins a championship this season or is able to keep Tucker for more than a year, it would be safe to say that Cubs fans will be regretting every time Smith hits a home run for a long time.
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