Jed Hoyer Discusses Kyle Tucker, Nook Infield Plans

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 right this moment (together with Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score and Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times), addressing Tucker and the membership’s nook infield choices.

Whereas Tucker is an enormous improve for the 2025 workforce, he’s set to be a free agent after that. Meaning he doesn’t at present present the Cubs any worth past the upcoming season, aside from the additional draft decide they might obtain if he rejects a qualifying provide at season’s finish after which indicators elsewhere.

The Cubs might all the time 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 mentioned. “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 form of participant that we lacked.”

It’s truthful to imagine that the Cubs would like to have Tucker past simply the one yr. They clearly worth the participant extremely, primarily based on the robust bundle of expertise they gave up only for that one season, plus the aforementioned QO compensation. Tucker himself additionally spoke right this moment (per Levine) and mentioned 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 in recent times 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 embrace $365MM for Mookie Betts, $341MM for Francisco Lindor and $313.5MM for Rafael Devers.

It’s a considerably comparable 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, mentioned he was open to contract talks at any time, however in the end grew to become a free agent and signed a mega take care of the Mets.

With the Cubs, it’s arguably even much less prone to get performed. 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 continues to be the biggest in franchise historical past, though it’s virtually 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 larger than $85MM. Maybe they’re prepared to interrupt that sample for Tucker, who they clearly like, however it might possible 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 could be prepared to provide 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 performed deal. “He has to earn that job,” Hoyer mentioned. “I’m not going to reward him that on a convention name in the midst 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 referred to as as much as the majors, so nothing might be taken without any consideration. Chosen thirteenth general final summer time, Shaw has slashed .303/.384/.522 thus far in 159 minor league video games throughout totally 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 at the very least 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 as a way to purchase Paredes within the first place. Nick Madrigal and Patrick Wisdom 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 present 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 shifting Michael Busch throughout the diamond. The membership had an outfield logjam however Cody Bellinger can play first, so it was theoretically attainable for them to open that spot for Bellinger by shifting Busch to the new nook, a place the place he has 99 1/3 innings of main league expertise. However Busch acquired robust grades for his first base protection this yr and Hoyer instructed their focus could be conserving 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 of the opportunity of stretching out right-hander Nate Pearson as a starter.

There’s some advantage to the plan however it might 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 position. As not too long ago as July, he expressed an interest in returning to a rotation position, shortly earlier than he was traded to the Cubs.

Bullpen-to-rotation conversions have been all the fad recently. Some latest success tales have included Michael King, Seth Lugo, Reynaldo López, Garrett Crochet and others. It doesn’t all the time 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 powerful 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 large league begins. As such, Mooney and Sharma admit that Pearson is almost definitely to stay in a reduction position subsequent yr.