The Cubs pulled off an enormous deal final week, buying outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Cubs in alternate for third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke to members of the media immediately (together with Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, Bruce Levine of 670 The Rating and Maddie Lee of the Chicago Solar-Occasions), addressing Tucker and the membership’s nook infield choices.
Whereas Tucker is an enormous improve for the 2025 crew, he’s set to be a free agent after that. Which means he doesn’t at the moment present the Cubs any worth past the upcoming season, other than the additional draft decide they’d obtain if he rejects a qualifying supply at season’s finish after which indicators elsewhere.
The Cubs might at all times change that future by signing Tucker to an extension, one thing that Hoyer touched upon a bit. “I don’t know what the longer term holds,” he stated. “However clearly Chicago sells itself rather well. And so, I’m excited to convey him in for this yr, and we’ll see the place it goes past that. However clearly this was the sort of participant that we lacked.”
It’s honest to imagine that the Cubs would like to have Tucker past simply the one yr. They clearly worth the participant extremely, based mostly on the sturdy bundle of expertise they gave up only for that one season, plus the aforementioned QO compensation. Tucker himself additionally spoke immediately (per Levine) and stated he’s open to having talks earlier than he hits the open market.
Whereas it’s good that Tucker is open to having talks, agreeing on a worth level is perhaps a problem. Tucker has been one of many higher gamers in baseball lately and is slated to hit free company forward of his age-29 season. To get a extremely good participant to signal an extension simply earlier than hitting free company forward of his thirtieth birthday isn’t low-cost, as proven in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. Some latest examples embody $365MM for Mookie Betts, $341MM for Francisco Lindor and $313.5MM for Rafael Devers.
It’s a considerably related state of affairs to the one which simply performed out between Juan Soto and the Yankees. He was acquired from the Padres with one yr remaining earlier than hitting free company, stated he was open to contract talks at any time, however finally grew to become a free agent and signed a mega take care of the Mets.
With the Cubs, it’s arguably even much less more likely to get carried out. Tucker’s incomes energy isn’t as excessive as Soto’s however the Cubs have by no means given out offers even to that Betts/Lindor/Devers degree. Jason Heyward’s $184MM deal remains to be the most important in franchise historical past, although it’s nearly a decade outdated at this level. Since Hoyer took over, the membership’s largest deal has been $177MM for Dansby Swanson, the one time he’s gone increased than $85MM. Maybe they’re keen to interrupt that sample for Tucker, who they clearly like, however it will probably require them to successfully double the Heyward/Swanson offers.
Hoyer additionally addressed the third base state of affairs at Wrigley, as buying and selling Paredes created a gap there. It has been anticipated that the membership can be keen to offer prospect Matt Shaw to take that spot. Hoyer appears to be open to that coming to move, saying that Shaw would get a “lengthy look”, although he wouldn’t simply name it a carried out deal. “He has to earn that job,” Hoyer stated. “I’m not going to present him that on a convention name in the course of December.”
That’s a good place to take. Although Shaw has carried out very effectively within the minors, even one of the best prospects can battle when first known as as much as the majors, so nothing might be taken as a right. Chosen thirteenth total final summer time, Shaw has slashed .303/.384/.522 to this point in 159 minor league video games throughout completely different ranges. That features a line of .298/.395/.534 in 35 Triple-A video games to complete his 2024 season, so there’s positively an argument for him cracking the majors to begin 2025.
However since there’s no assure he’ll hit the bottom operating, the Cubs might want to have backup plans. The Cubs had six gamers spend not less than 85 innings at third this yr, however Miles Mastrobuoni is the one one of many six left on the roster. As talked about, Paredes was within the Tucker deal. The Cubs traded Christopher Morel to the Rays to be able to purchase Paredes within the first place. Nick Madrigal and Patrick Knowledge have been non-tendered at season’s finish. David Bote was outrighted off the roster in August.
Infielder Gage Workman was simply grabbed from the Tigers within the Rule 5 draft, so he has a roster spot for now, however he doesn’t have any main league nor any Triple-A expertise. Ben Cowles and Luis Vázquez are different multi-positional infielders at the moment on the 40-man. Maybe the Cubs will have a look at including to that group by signing a veteran utility man, whether or not that’s to a modest main league deal or a minor league pact.
One factor that’s apparently not into account is transferring Michael Busch throughout the diamond. The membership had an outfield logjam however Cody Bellinger can play first, so it was theoretically potential for them to open that spot for Bellinger by transferring Busch to the new nook, a place the place he has 99 1/3 innings of main league expertise. However Busch acquired sturdy grades for his first base protection this yr and Hoyer instructed their focus can be holding him there. Bellinger was traded to the Yankees after Hoyer’s feedback this afternoon.
Unrelated to Hoyer’s feedback, there was one other Cubs tidbit of observe this week. Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report that the membership has thought-about the opportunity of stretching out right-hander Nate Pearson as a starter.
There’s some benefit to the plan however it could be troublesome to tug off. Pearson was a beginning pitching prospect of observe with the Blue Jays earlier than accidents pushed him right into a reduction function. As lately as July, he expressed an curiosity in returning to a rotation function, shortly earlier than he was traded to the Cubs.
Bullpen-to-rotation conversions have been all the trend currently. Some latest success tales have included Michael King, Seth Lugo, Reynaldo López, Garrett Crochet and others. It doesn’t at all times work, with the A.J. Puk experiment one try that didn’t pan out, however golf equipment appear to be heat to the concept. The Mets have signed Clay Holmes with a plan of stretching him out subsequent yr and there have been some stories suggesting Jeff Hoffman may get a rotation gig subsequent yr as effectively.
With Pearson, it’s robust to see a path subsequent yr. The Cubs have already got Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad within the rotation, with reported curiosity in Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins as effectively. In addition they have Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cade Horton and different potential starters round, so all these guys won’t go away a whole lot of room for Pearson to get huge league begins. As such, Mooney and Sharma admit that Pearson is probably to stay in a reduction function subsequent yr.