The Chicago Cubs took arguably the biggest trade swing of the 2024 MLB offseason, acquiring Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros. Tucker was an easy player for the Cubs to key in on, given his talent, but the fact that he'd come with only one year on his contract made it a risk for the Cubs to trade the haul they did, knowing he could walk away after just one season. We just saw Juan Soto do the exact same thing just months ago. Well, Sunday's Rafael Devers trade might've greatly improved the Cubs' odds of keeping Tucker around.
The Devers trade came out of nowhere, and is one of the most shocking MLB trades in recent memory. We can debate all day whether the Boston Red Sox were justified in trading Devers and who won this deal, but what really can't be debated is that this transaction has significantly aided the Cubs in their upcoming pursuit of Tucker.
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Rafael Devers trade might be what keeps Kyle Tucker with the Cubs
The Cubs weren't involved in the trade, but deals of this magnitude always have ripple effects around the league. Tucker's free agency is one of them. This deal essentially ruled two teams out of contention.
Sure, the Red Sox might need a big bat, and just cleared most of Devers' $313.5 million contract, but is Tucker really the player they'd target? The Red Sox have Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu on their roster, all with several years of control. It's probably more likely that the Red Sox trade one of those outfielders instead of adding another high-end one like Tucker. And yes, the DH spot exists, but clearly, by trading Devers, the Red Sox made it clear they did not want to commit substantial money to a DH. Tucker's bat would fit in well, but his position likely eliminates them immediately.
As for the San Francisco Giants, well, they just took on the final 8.5 years of Devers' 10-year, $313.5 million deal. To put it simply, they're going to be paying Devers a ton of money, in addition to the long-term money already owed to guys like Willy Adames, Logan Webb, Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee.
Can they add Tucker? Absolutely. Adding him would solidify them in the upper-echelon tier of NL teams if they aren't there already. However, what are the odds that the Giants will commit to paying another massive contract?
Before the trade, it felt as if the Giants were likely going to go all-in on Tucker knowing they've whiffed on many stars in recent years and need a big bat desperately. Now that they got Devers, the Giants presumably went from a realistic threat to pry Tucker away to a team that might not even throw their hat into the ring.
The Cubs still have to fork over a ton of money if they want Tucker to remain in Chicago for the rest of his career. Several big-market teams will be very interested in signing the superstar. However, with the Red Sox having more outfielders than spots, and the Giants having just spent a ton of money on a big bat, two big-market teams are presumably out of the running, improving the Cubs' odds in the process.