1:20 p.m: Right-handed Hayden Wesneski is also involved in the talks, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

1:03 p.m.: The Cubs and Astros are “close” to agreeing on a Tucker trade, Heyman tweets. Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 in Houston reports that the two teams have discussed a return that would send Paredes, Smith and a third player to Houston.

12:56 p.m.: Talks between the two sides have “continued to gain momentum,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweets that Smith and Paredes are “among the names being discussed,” suggesting that there may actually be others in play.

9:10 a.m.: The Cubs and Astros have been negotiating a trade that would send the star outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston to Chicago in exchange for an infielder Isaac Paredes and 2024 first-round pick Cam Smithreports Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. It is not yet clear whether other players are involved on both sides. There are no signs that a deal is nearing the finish line.

The 27-year-old Tucker recently emerged as a viable trade candidate. The former No. 5 overall pick broke through as an everyday player in 2020 and has since developed into one of the best young players around. Over the last four seasons, he posted a .280/.362/.527 slash line with 112 home runs, 80 steals, a walk rate of 11.3% and a strikeout rate of just 15.1%. A broken tibia cost him much of the 2024 season, but he had his most productive season ever when healthy: .289/.408/.585, 23 home runs, 16.5% walk rate in 78 games.

Tucker is a year away from reaching free agency as a 28-year-old and is poised for the kind of mega-contract that Astros owner Jim Crane wasn’t willing to offer; Houston’s longest contract was under Crane Jordan AlvarezThe six-year, $115 million contract. Jose Altuve’The $151 million extension is the largest in terms of total guarantee. Tucker could receive double that guarantee in free agency over a significantly longer period than Alvarez’s contract.

For the Cubs, adding Tucker would only further increase the likelihood of a trade Cody Bellinger and/or Seiya Suzuki. Tucker would replace both in right field. Chicago already has offspring Michael Busch at first base and Pete Crow Armstrong in midfield. Left fielder Ian Happ has a full no-trade clause. There would be no obvious spot for Bellinger or Suzuki to play other than designated hitter. That would be a waste of Bellinger’s solid defensive skills, and Suzuki would rather play the field than step in as the primary DH. It also has a full no-trade clause, which further complicates matters.

The three player contracts should also be kept in mind. Tucker is entering his final season as club president and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz predicts he will make $15.8 million next season. Bellinger is guaranteed a $27.5 million salary next season and has a $25 million player option with a $5 million buyout for the 2026 season. Essentially, he’s at least $32.5 million $52.5 million guaranteed for one year and potentially $52.5 million for the next two seasons, pending this opt-out decision. Suzuki has two years remaining on his five-year, $85 million contract and will earn $18 million in each of the next two seasons.

For the Astros, trading Tucker would be a tough pill to swallow. Crane has expressed his willingness to pay the luxury tax if the right situation arises, but clearly seems to prefer avoiding it for a second straight season. The ‘Stros tried to bring in a long-time third baseman Alex Bregman back on the roster, but he’s seeking a $200 million deal, while Houston’s last reported offer was for six years and $156 million. That the Astros are considering not only an immediate big league option at the hot corner (Paredes) but also a current first-round pick whose primary position is third base (Smith) suggests at least some pessimism about the completion of a reunion with Bregman.

However, the Astros also have a need at first base. Paredes could fill this role capably, having played all four infield positions throughout his big league career. He was primarily a third baseman, but also logged nearly 400 innings at first base. It’s at least possible that the Astros could use the salary space created by a potential Tucker trade to re-sign Bregman, play Paredes at first base, and then simply settle for moving a player with Smith’s overall upside to the top ranks of their system. Smith isn’t likely to be a big league option until 2026 anyway, and his bat is his calling card; A move to a corner outfield position isn’t out of the question at some point.

Paredes, 26 in February, was traded from the Rays to the Cubs at the 2024 trade deadline and has struggled in his new surroundings. The versatile slugger hit .250/.342/.488 and hit 31 home runs for Tampa Bay in 2023 and appeared to be on track to approach that performance in 1924, when he previously hit .245/.357/.435 with the Rays scored the trade. With Chicago, however, Paredes slumped to a tepid .223/.305/.307 average in 212 plate appearances.

Despite these difficulties, Paredes is a .234/.338/.437 hitter (123 wRC+) who has hit 70 home runs at four different positions over the last three seasons. He has made a strong 11.2% of his plate appearances during that span, while his strikeout rate is 17.3%, about five percentage points below average. He is scheduled to earn $6.9 million in 2025 and is under the club’s control through the 2027 season. He would be a long-term addition for the Astros who can help out at a variety of positions and would provide solid hitting against righties and perform well against southpaws (.274/.366/.456). Additionally, he ranked third among all qualified MLB hitters in pull percentage this season and recorded the second-lowest groundball rate in the same set. A right-handed hitter with an extreme pull and that penchant for elevating the ball seems almost tailor-made for Houston’s short left-field porch.

Smith, on the other hand, was selected with the No. 14 pick last summer and signed for a bonus of just over $5 million. The Florida State product has absolutely set minor league pitching on fire, hitting .313/.396/.609 in 134 plate appearances at two levels of Class-A and Double-A. It was one of the best debut performances of any draftee and only served to add to his already impressive record. Baseball America ranks Smith sixth in a deep Cubs farm system that boasted six of the game’s top 100 prospects in 2024. Smith will likely feature in multiple top-100 rankings heading into the 2025 season.

Currently, RosterResource is projecting the Astros to earn $215 million with a luxury tax liability of nearly $234 million. That puts them about $7 million below this season’s tax threshold of $241 million. Moving Tucker would open up some breathing room, as would trading a backup player Ryan Presslywhose name has also hit the rumor mill this offseason. He’s owed $14 million but can veto any trade scenario as a player with 10-and-5 rights (10 years of MLB service, including the last five years with the same team). Astros general manager Dana Brown said early in the offseason that his club may have to be “creative” to address roster needs given payroll uncertainty and potential deals involving Tucker, Pressly and Lefty being discussed Framber Valdez all fit under this umbrella.