During the offseason, the Chicago Cubs made a trade with the Houston Astros to acquire Kyle Tucker. In return, they sent the No. 58 overall prospect Cam Smith to Houston.
Since then, Smith has started to get comfortable. He has played stellar throughout the spring, and it was just recently announced that he has made the Opening Day roster.
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While the Cubbies loved Cam Smith, they could not pass up the chance to add Kyle Tucker to their roster. Team president Jed Hoyer spoke on the decision to add Tucker via The Athletic.
"Our guys did a great job with Cam Smith. Obviously, we liked him in the draft. He played great for us last year. He's a really good young player. You're not going to acquire a guy like Tucker without giving up real talent," said Hoyer.
Chicago was not going to acquire Tucker without giving up some value. He is one of the best outfielders in the MLB, especially when he is not dealing with any injuries.
"So obviously, when you make that kind of move, you're going to have to give up real talent. And look, we drafted Cam, our guys thought really highly of him. He's a really good player and we felt like we were in that window to make that kind of deal," he added.
With where their roster is and the goals they have in mind, they believed Tucker would be the guy to push them over the edge. Even if it came at the cost of a prospect who has been on fire.
Cubs president wants Kyle Tucker to stay long-term
Kyle Tucker is working on just a one-year deal. He is set to become a free agent following his 2025 season with the Cubs, but not if Jed Hoyer can help it.
Hoyer would love to keep Tucker around. He hinted at possibly offering Tucker an extension before he hits free agency.
"It's too early and I'm not going to talk about negotiations or talk about where we are, but certainly, he's the kind of player you;d love to have for a long time as well" said Hoyer.
However, an extension could be difficult to reach. There is no denying that Tucker saw what Juan Soto signed for this winter and could want a piece of that pie on the open market.
