The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason. Kyle Tucker is headed to Chicago and the package heading the other way could keep Houston relevant. The biggest domino of the offseason was Juan Soto, who spurned the Yankees after one year to sign with the Mets. Now, Tucker is in a similar situation as he hits free agency after this season. Who won the trade? And what is next for both teams?
The trade sent Tucker to the Cubs in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and prospect Cam Smith. Reports attached the Yankees to Tucker as well, but they fell short. Jack Curry of YES Network reported that they refused to include Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. That landed Tucker with the Cubs and has the Yankees switching gears.
Did both teams improve by making this deal? Let's find out with these trade grades!
Cubs land Kyle Tucker

There is no doubt the Cubs improved by adding Tucker to their lineup. He has been an excellent hitter for four years now and was having a career year before getting hurt in 2024. He fractured his shin and only played 78 games. Tucker hit 23 home runs while posing an 181 OPS+ in those games.
Last year, the Cubs struggled to win despite adding a high-priced manager. Craig Counsell became the highest-paid manager in the league but lost the NL Central to his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers. They won only 83 games, an identical number to 2023. They needed pop in their lineup and Tucker provides exactly that.
The Cubs sent two prospects to the Tampa Bay Rays for Isaac Paredes at the trade deadline. Now, they turned him into Kyle Tucker. It is solid asset management despite his poor performance in the Windy City. Cam Smith was their seventh-ranked prospect, per MLB.com. For improving a team that desperately needed it, the Cubs get an A-.
Astros land a solid return package
The Houston Astros let George Springer, Carlos Correa, Gerrit Cole, and Justin Verlander walk in free agency. By adding two third baseman, Paredes and Smith, Alex Bregman's Houston tenure is likely over. And Kyle Tucker has been traded. At some point, the Astros have to keep a core around Jose Altuve. But only Yordan Alvarez remains from that core.
Paredes is the perfect fit for the building formerly known as Minute Maid Park. Daikin Park has a very short left field and Paredes is a righty pull-hitter. He could have a breakout season popping homers over the Crawford Boxes. His fit saves this grade for the Astros, as prospects are difficult to grade and Hayden Wesneski has been a poor professional.
The Astros were in a tough spot once they decided to trade Kyle Tucker. They were trying to land Gil from the Yankees but could not get that deal done. That package would have been an A return, but this return lands the Astros a B-.
What is next for both teams?
The Astros now have a massive hole in their outfield that they need to fill. If they were not willing to pay up for Tucker, it would likely be a lower-cost acquisition. Someone like Alex Verdugo could make a lot of sense coming off a poor year with the Yankees. He is a solid defender and the hitter-friendly park could help get his stroke back.
The Cubs may be trading Cody Bellinger this offseason. After adding Tucker, they have a surplus of outfielders and should make that move. When they make that trade, they should target pitchers to slot in behind Shota Imanaga.