CHICAGO -- The Cubs have been looking for ways to not only shake up their offense, but also inject some more star power into the equation. That search has led to a blockbuster trade to bring Kyle Tucker to the North Side of Chicago.

On Friday, the Cubs and Astros agreed to a deal that sends Tucker to Wrigley Field in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and No. 73 overall prospect 3B Cam Smith.

TRADE DETAILS

Astros get: IF Isaac Paredes, RHP Hayden Wesneski and 3B Cam Smith (Cubs No. 7 prospect).

Cubs get: RF Kyle Tucker.

Tucker joins a Cubs team that has won 83 games in each of the past two seasons, falling short of playoff expectations in both years. While Chicago’s lineup is relatively deep, the group has lacked a true threat in the heart of the offense. Tucker immediately brings a star-caliber bat to anchor manager Craig Counsell’s lineup.

Last season, Tucker was limited to 78 games due to a small fracture in his right shin, but still managed to post 4.7 WAR (Baseball Reference) in that span. For perspective, Chicago’s WAR leader was shortstop Dansby Swanson, who posted a mark of 4.0, which was helped by his stellar defensive play up the middle.

Tucker hit .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, 49 RBIs and more walks (56) than strikeouts (54) last season, making his third straight All-Star team for the Astros. He returned from the shin setback in early September and hit .365 with a 1.041 OPS in 18 games down the stretch.

Tucker has spent his entire career with the Astros, picking up a Gold Glove for his play in right field in ‘22 and adding a Silver Slugger trophy to his resume in ‘23. He was also fifth in voting for the American League MVP Award in ‘23 after batting .284 with 29 homers, 112 RBIs and an .886 OPS.

Tucker, who will turn 28 on Jan. 17, is under contractual control only through 2025, giving him a chance to weigh entering free agency next winter or trying to reach a deal on an extension with the Cubs. In the meantime, Chicago has an elite hitter to work into an outfield that is crowded at the moment but could see more changes.

The Cubs currently have Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki for the right field and designated hitter slots, respectively, though Bellinger is versatile enough to move to either center field or first base. Both Bellinger and Suzuki have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, so it is possible Tucker’s arrival could mean more moves are coming.

Paredes was acquired by the Cubs at the Trade Deadline last season, and he should be a good fit in Houston as an extreme pull hitter. In his brief stay in Chicago, he hit just .105 with a .317 OPS at Wrigley Field, while batting .333 (.911 OPS) on the road while in a Cubs uniform.

Without Paredes, the Cubs now have a vacancy at third base, but it is also possible that clears a path to the Opening Day roster for highly touted prospect Matt Shaw, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Cubs prospect and No. 22 on the Top 100 list.

Wesneski was a Trade Deadline pickup for the Cubs in ‘22; he posted a 3.93 ERA in 68 appearances (22 starts) over the last three seasons. The Houston native dealt with a variety of injury setbacks in ‘24 while bouncing between the rotation and bullpen.

The Cubs selected the 21-year-old Smith with the 14th overall pick in the first round of last summer’s MLB Draft and he currently ranks No. 73 on Pipeline’s Top 100 list. In his first pro season, the third baseman hit .313 with seven homers, 24 RBIs and a 1.004 OPS in 32 games as he climbed from Single-A to Double-A in Chicago’s system.