Kyle Tucker, Pete Alonso Rumors Add Excitement to Slow Offseason
The national pundits are as frustrated with the Cubs’ slow offseason as the rest of us, none more than Ken Rosenthal. I like where Rosenthal’s head is, but I think Jed Hoyer has better options than signing Alex Bregman.
Favorite storyline of the offseason might be Rosenthal going at Ricketts any chance he gets 😂 pic.twitter.com/Du6YfI9rFO
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) December 13, 2024
As Evan mentioned yesterday, a simpler option could be a free agent who is likely to cost less than Bregman but one who has been on Chicago’s radar for a little over a year. I’ll lay it out for you to mercilessly dissect at your convenience.
- Trade for Kyle Tucker. It’s doubtful the Cubs will include Seiya Suzuki or Owen Caissie in a deal, but the Astros have their sites set on one of Matt Shaw or Cam Smith. So fine; give Houston Isaac Paredes, Smith, a low-level prospect, plus a starting pitcher with club control so their front office can trade Framber Valdez. That seems fair, right? Smith can take over when Paredes hits free agency in 2028, if not before, while Caissie stays home and plays the role of Tucker’s stand-in. Shaw can immediately take over for Parades at third base.
- Trade Cody Bellinger and cash to the Yankees for Will Warren and something. Warren could be the pitcher that goes to the Astros if you want to make it a three-way deal. The Cubs could also do the Bellinger deal ahead of a trade with the Astros. That seems like a pretty good fit for both teams.
- Sign Pete Alonso in free agency. A lineup with Suzuki, Shaw, Tucker, and Alonso is a lot more formidable than Suzuki, Paredes, and Bellinger. Alonso could DH and occasionally spell Michael Busch, who is a better fielder at first base.
- Use the goodwill earned by not trading Suzuki to sign Rōki Sasaki. I know Suzuki wants to play right field, and pride is his motivating factor, but there are several ways to appease the 30-year-old slugger. For instance, manager Craig Counsell could create a rotating cast of designated hitters that includes everybody mentioned above plus Ian Happ. He’d have to sit Busch against tough lefties, but that’s okay. Suzuki could get 50-75 starts in right field, with Tucker alternating between DH and both corner outfield positions.
- If Suzuki chooses to go elsewhere, sign Walker Buehler to a one-year deal. If Hoyer really wants to play the part of offseason assassin, he could trade for Dylan Cease.
It’s worth noting that Rosenthal chose to target Tom Ricketts instead of Hoyer. I still think Hoyer deserves a little more blame because Ricketts has signed off on some decent-sized payrolls in the last two years. Alonso is projected at five years at $125 million, which is right in Hoyer’s wheelhouse. I’d prefer Sasaki to Cease, but the latter is only making $8 million in 2025. Hoyer has enough spendable funds to cover Alonso, Cease, or Sasaki and the extra cabbage he’d have to give the Yankees. He should have enough left over to finally complete the deal for catcher Carson Kelly.
Counsell will have difficulty divvying up at-bats, but that’s a problem any manager would love. The Cubs are bound to have injuries, and players will go through slumps. Hoyer might instead consider including Busch in the Astros deal to keep Smith. Houston generally prefers players who are MLB-ready, so that might make more sense. He’d have to have a great degree of confidence in signing Alonso, but he could also pivot to Paul Goldschmidt or Anthony Rizzo. Alonso would be a monster paired with Tucker, has a stated affinity for Chicago, and, if estimates are accurate, he’d cost less than Bellinger.
I know there are a lot of moving parts, but none of this is too difficult if that’s a path Hoyer would want to pursue. He’d have a team capable of reaching the playoffs, plenty of flexibility, and cap maneuverability for midseason acquisitions. Best of all, he’d keep his farm system relatively intact while keeping Suzuki and agent Joel Wolfe happy. Don’t forget, Wolfe also represents Sasaki. The Cubs would also have Caissie or Kevin Alcántara on deck in case Tucker leaves via free agency after the upcoming season.