Subscribe
Follow Us
New Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker has finally shared his thoughts about the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Houston Astros to the Windy City.
The Cubs acquired Tucker last week in a surprising move that also sent Isaac Paredes to Houston, further breaking up the core of the Astros teams that dominated the American League from 2017 to 2023.
“You never know what’s going to happen in the game. Some of the times it’s out of your control and things just happen,” Tucker said Tuesday in an appearance on MLB Network. “I appreciate everything the Houston Astros, the team and the city itself, has done for me and my family since I got drafted in 2015 til now.”
Tucker comes to Chicago off one of the most impressive seasons of his career. Despite missing 79 games between July and September, he still hit 23 home runs with a 181 OPS+ and 180 wRC+. It was enough for him to compile 4.2 fWAR, which is only a touch below what he produces in a typical full year.
Tucker reiterated that he remains close with his former Astros teammates, but added that he is ready to start helping the Cubs.
“I don’t think I could have gone to a much better organization than the Cubs, so I’m excited to start playing in front of the fans and in the city and everything else,” he said.
He added in an MLB.com story that he intends to bring the same winning approach to Chicago that he employed in Houston.
“I’ve always said I’m not going to show up just to go out there and play and lose. If I’m going to show up, we might as well win,” he said, per Adam McCalvy. “That’s the mindset I take into every game, every single day, and I try to express that throughout the team as well. That’s how the vibe in our clubhouse has been in Houston and I’m hoping to try to replicate that the exact same way in Chicago.”
