Cubs send Isaac Paredes, top prospect and a pitcher for Kyle Tucker

All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes is the centerpiece of the three-player package the Cubs are sending to the Houston Astros Kyle Tucker. The blockbuster deal was completed Friday afternoon.

With Tucker set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, the Astros traded him in part to avoid losing him for nothing. The Astros landed Parades, top third base prospect Cam Smith and right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski for Tucker.

The Astros tried to acquire Paredes at the 2024 trade deadline from the Rays before Tampa Bay sent him to Chicago.

“We were aggressive because we were trying to get more offense,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said. “What stands out for us is his power, and he has a lot of pull power, which would play well here with the Crawford Boxes.

“And so that’s one thing where the bat is probably really made for this ballpark. We’re excited to get him and we think he can hit 25-plus home runs and be an impact somewhere in the middle of that lineup. Whether it’s four or five, we really feel good that this guy is going to come here and give us some offense.”

Isaac Paredes is excited to play in front of paisanos

Paredes, a key member of Mexico’s 2023 World Baseball Classic squad, should be a popular player for the Astros’ large Mexican American and Latino fan base.

“Truly, I’m really happy,” Paredes said. “I think that’s a stadium that I feel will favor me a lot. It’s a very beautiful stadium also. Above all, I think I’ll feel very good there with the community of many Mexican paisanos who go to that stadium.”

Smith was the 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Florida State. Wesneski, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Dec. 5, was the Yankees’ sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft.

The Cubs acquired Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline this year. Paredes hit .238 with 19 home runs and 80 RBIs over 129 games between the Rays and Cubs this season.

Tucker, a three-time All-Star, has won a Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger during his career. He has been an All-Star each of the last three seasons. Limited to only 78 games because of a leg injury, he hit 23 home runs with 49 RBIs with a .289 batting average this season.

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Brown acknowledged that the Astros would listen to offers for Tucker and ace Framber Valdez during the recent Winter Meetings in Dallas.

“You would listen on all the players,” Brown said Monday in Dallas. “I don’t think you would turn a deaf ear to any of these guys. I think the big thing is that if you have an opportunity to make the club better that you would at least listen to other clubs and see if there’s something that makes sense for the club in the present and also long term.”

Framber Valdez likely to stay

Brown is still open to listen for other offers, but he appears less likely to trade Valdez.

“With Valdez, we’re not aggressively trying to trade him,” Brown said. “I know he’s the top part of our rotation with him and (Hunter) Brown one and two. We’re not aggressively trying to move him, but we’ll listen.

“If you’re asking me if I think we’re going to trade Valdez, I don’t think we’re trading Valdez. I think he’s part of the pillar, and it’s really tough to keep a rotation intact, and we really feel like he’s going to be an important one in our rotation.” 

Paredes, 25, is a career .232 hitter with 72 home runs and 234 RBIs over five seasons in the majors. He hit a career-high 31 home runs with 92 RBIs for the Rays in 2023.

He finished 18th in the American League MVP race in 2023, the year Tucker finished fifth in the AL MVP race. Smith played for three Cubs affiliates this year on his was to Class AA Tennesee.

He hit .313 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs over 32 games this season.