The Chicago Cubs made the biggest splash in the offseason trade market, acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in exchange for a three-player package. The highlight of that package was Cam Smith, the talented third baseman who has earned a spot on the Astros' Opening Day roster despite just 32 Minor-League appearances to his name.
Smith, 22, is expected to begin his career in the outfield, but he offers plenty of long-term positional flexibility for the Astros. He is also a monster at the plate, batting .342 with a 1.179 OPS in 38 spring training at-bats. That is a small sample size, but few MLB prospects have performed on Smith's level over the last month. The 2024 first-round pick is on a meteoric ascent.
With Smith slotted in right field for now, he is more or less a direct replacement for Tucker. That means we will get an immediate opportunity to grade the merits of this trade. Tucker, on an expiring contract, could pick up and leave next offseason, a fact Cubs fans are all too familiar with. If Smith puts up Rookie of the Year numbers and excels out of the gate, stress levels will only rise on the North Side.
That said, Chicago fans shouldn't get too worked up over Smith's immediate production and rapid promotion in Houston. The Cubs did, after all, land one of the very best offensive stars in MLB.
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Cam Smith looks great for the Astros, but Cubs fans should still feel good about Kyle Tucker trade
Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell Cubs fans they shouldn't feel a little bit nervous. Smith has been on a rocketship's trajectory since entering the Chicago farm system a year ago, and how can you not root for the guy after his emotional response to making the Astros' roster? Smith is a major talent and he could, if all breaks right, give the Astros a much-needed boost in lieu of Tucker.
That said, Chicago got the best player in this trade — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We can question how long he will remain in a Cubs uniform, but Jed Hoyer's lack of team-building aggression has been a talking point for years. We've been begging the Cubs to pull a true marquee trade like this. Tucker gives Chicago an offensive centerpiece it previously lacked. He's a three-time All-Star at 28, with a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and a World Series ring in his trophy case at home.
If anything can propel the Cubs to the top of the NL Central, and maybe even to the World Series, it's a move like this. Tucker was limited to 78 games last season due to injury, but he still hit 23 home runs and stole 13 bases while posting a career-best .993 OPS. Smith is a potential MLB star. Tucker is a proven, bonafide MLB superstar. He was worth every penny and prospect given up in that trade, and Chicago should feel every bit of pressure to re-sign him. And that's a good thing. Hoyer needs to understand the depths of his failure if he lets a franchise talent walk after a single season.
Tucker went a modest 1-for-8 in the Tokyo Series, but the Cubs should be confident in getting MVP-level production from an MVP-level talent. It'll be much easier to forget about Cam Smith when the talented lefty is raking moonshots and creating havoc on the base paths. Few true five-tool players exist in this league. Tucker is one of them, and he is the reason we're even talking about the Cubs as potential contenders.