The winter meetings are over, Juan Soto is a New York Met, and several of the biggest names on this year’s free agent and trade market are on the move. But as teams began to deviate from their original plans for this winter, the biggest problem soon became the lack of a franchise-changing player available with Soto gone.

At least that was the case until Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker became available.

Since arriving in the big leagues in 2019, Tucker has been a force for the Astros and the true definition of a five-tool player. He owns a .274/.353/.516 slash line with 125 home runs and 94 stolen bases and is an elite defender in right field. Tucker was on pace to have the best year of his career last season – with 23 home runs in 79 games – before a broken tibia from a foul ball forced him to miss significant time.

Over the past few weeks, it has emerged that the Astros were open to a move for their star outfielder.

On Friday, the Astros traded Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third baseman Cam Smith.

The deal immediately makes Tucker the best player in Chicago. For Houston, Paredes has the option to play third or first base with pull-side power, which should play at Minute Maid Park. A well-rounded, well-rounded arm, Wesneski played in 68 games with 22 starts for the Cubs and had a respectable career 3.93 ERA.

But the crown jewel of the Astros trade is Smith. The Cubs’ 2024 first-round draft pick was one of the best hitters in college baseball before Chicago took him with the 14th overall pick last year. He performed well in his first year of pro ball, hitting .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs and 24 RBI and finishing the year in Double-A.

What does this deal mean for the Astros?

The Astros have won a lot in the last decade, including two World Series titles. The only team that has won more games than Houston since 2015 is the Los Angeles Dodgers. But keeping their win window open for so long comes at a cost, and it has left the Astros’ prospect pool pretty thin. Sources with knowledge of Houston’s thinking told Yahoo Sports that the hope is that a Tucker trade could help replenish the farm system that has allowed the Astros to reach the ALCS in seven of the last eight seasons.

With such a trade now completed, Paredes immediately fits into the Astros’ infield and lineup, and Wesneski could fill multiple roles for Houston, either in the bullpen or in the rotation, depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out. And with Smith ranked as the Cubs’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the Astros might have acquired their third baseman of the future.

The other side of the equation for Houston was that the team’s owner, Jim Crane, didn’t seem interested in offering a player a contract longer than six years, be it Tucker or a free agent like Alex Bregman, who the team had would like to sign up again. The addition of Paredes likely makes re-signing Bregman less feasible, but Houston could theoretically put Paredes first if they want to continue keeping their longtime star.

What does this mean for the Cubs?

What the Cubs have been missing in recent years has been a true difference-making hitter in the middle of their lineup. They haven’t had one since the days of Kris Bryant. Now Tucker offers exactly that – a player who can produce consistently on offense and lead a lineup for weeks at a time. And with other teams in the National League having game-changing players, including Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., Soto and Francisco Lindor, and the Dodgers’ three MVPs, Chicago now has an answer.

With the addition of Tucker, the Cubs are immediately better on defense as well. With Tucker probably in right field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left field, you can expect the Cubs to have one of the best defensive outfields in baseball. What the team will do with outfielders Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki remains to be determined, but this deal gives Chicago moving assets to further improve the roster.

And after this trade, the Cubs have even more incentive to continue to improve. The next step for Chicago will be to acquire another starting pitcher; They were initially active in the free agent and trade markets. Adding a high-leverage arm or two in the bullpen is also a significant need and would really put a stamp on what turns out to be an impactful winter for the Cubs.

But there is a caveat

For the Cubs, the concern about acquiring Tucker has nothing to do with his talent, which makes him one of the top 10 players in MLB at his best, and everything to do with his contract situation. The 27-year-old begins his final season as club boss before hitting the free agent market next winter. We just saw a cautionary tale about such a move with the Yankees and Soto.

New York pulled the trigger on a Soto trade to secure what they hoped would be the final piece of their championship puzzle, and they had great success, making it to the World Series before falling to the Dodgers. Despite all of this, Soto decided to leave as a free agent and sign with the Mets, leaving the Bronx Bombers with a major hole in their lineup.

According to sources, Tucker is almost certain to enter free agency after the 2025 season. With Soto signing his record-breaking contract, players like Tucker and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who will also be a free agent next winter, have even more incentive to see out the free agent process at a potential $400 million-500 Millions of paydays are waiting for them at the end.

The Cubs traded for Tucker knowing he could leave in 12 months and sign elsewhere. There is no guarantee he will stay in Chicago or that they will have an advantage in free agent negotiations. In the Yankees’ case, they at least still have a top-five player in Aaron Judge after Soto’s departure, but the Cubs likely won’t have that type of safety.

The trio of players the Cubs traded away represent a high price for a one-year rental. But it’s understandable that the price was so high. Tucker is the type of player who can elevate a team as a contender or, perhaps more appropriately in Chicago’s case, take a borderline playoff team and push them into October. After Soto was signed, Tucker was the only player available with such skills.

But the Cubs need to be sure they have the rest in place before Opening Day. Because with Tucker on their roster, they’ll probably only get one shot.