When the Chicago Cubs showed no interest in signing big-name free agents like Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes, it felt as if this was going to be an inexplicably quiet offseason in the Windy City. Jed Hoyer had other plans, though.
The Cubs officially acquired Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Astros on Friday, giving the Cubs the superstar that they desperately needed. The price tag was steep, especially when considering the fact that Tucker is on an expiring contract, but Tucker is a player who could legitimately win the MVP award in 2025. He's that good. The Cubs have a case as NL Central favorites with this move.
Tucker gives the Cubs a superstar to build their lineup around, and Hoyer shouldn't stop after just him. Here's what the Cubs lineup would look like on Opening Day in a dream scenario.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
|
Batting Order |
Player |
Position |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Ian Happ |
LF |
|
2 |
Kyle Tucker |
RF |
|
3 |
Seiya Suzuki |
DH |
|
4 |
Pete Alonso |
1B |
|
5 |
Dansby Swanson |
SS |
|
6 |
Nico Hoerner |
2B |
|
7 |
Matt Shaw |
3B |
|
8 |
Pete Crow-Armstrong |
CF |
|
9 |
Miguel Amaya |
C |
The Cubs acquiring Tucker makes it even more likely that Cody Bellinger will be traded sometime sooner rather than later. He can always play first base, but the Cubs can also aim higher than Bellinger (and Michael Busch) in the free agency market by signing Pete Alonso.
Is this likely? Probably not. The Cubs are dangling Bellinger on the trade market in large part because they don't want to pay him. The Cubs probably won't want to pay Alonso knowing that Tucker is going to require a monstrous contract next offseason. Still, there's no reason why the Cubs can't afford to pay both Alonso and Tucker. Adding Alonso would give them another big bat in the lineup in addition to Tucker, and without a long list of potential suitors, he might not break the bank anyway.
Alonso might be coming off his worst full season, but he still hit 34 home runs in the regular season and four more in October. He's been one of the most prolific home run hitters since he debuted in 2019, ranking second in the majors behind only Aaron Judge in long balls.
As if that wasn't enticing enough, Alonso has always crushed the ball at Wrigley Field, slashing .271/.405/.729 with eight home runs and 18 RBI in 17 games. He's hit more home runs at Wrigley Field than he has at any ballpark that isn't in the NL East. Clearly, Alonso sees the ball quite well at the Friendly Confines.
In addition to Alonso's presence in the dream lineup, Chicago's top prospect, Matt Shaw, now has a direct path to playing regularly at the hot corner with Isaac Paredes headed to Houston. Shaw has All-Star potential and can add tremendous upside to the lower third of what should be a stout Cubs lineup.
This is probably not all going to happen, but it's realistic enough for Cubs fans to dream about. Adding Tucker is a dream scenario in itself. Adding Alonso to that and promoting Shaw (assuming he performs in Spring Training) would make an already strong offseason into one of the best in the sport.
