Apr 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run to left field against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Daikin Park. Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Polarizing Kyle Tucker Trade Finally Paying Off for Astros

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Tyler Maher | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 5:00 PM ET

It took a few weeks, but the Houston Astros are finally starting to get what they paid for in last winter's blockbuster trade with the Chicago Cubs.

In return for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Astros received All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes, starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top prospect Cam Smith.

After slow starts with their new team, all three players finally broke out over the weekend, propelling Houston to a series win over the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park.

Paredes and Smith led the charge on Friday, powering the slumping Astros to a 14-3 rout in the series opener. Both took Angels reliever Ian Anderson deep in the eighth inning for their first home runs of the season, tacking on some late insurance runs.

Paredes finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer, three runs and two walks, reaching base five times from the two-hole in the lineup. Smith did his damage towards the bottom of the order, going 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, three RBI and his first Major League stolen base from the No. 8 spot.

Houston dropped the middle game on Saturday, 4-1, but Paredes was one of the few bright spots in the loss. He contributed the Astros' only run with his eighth-inning solo shot off Ryan Zeferjahn, preventing the shutout.

An early check in on the Astros-Cubs trade using @baseball_ref WAR:

Kyle Tucker 1.1

Esock Paredes 1.0
Cam Smith 0.3
Hayden Wesneski 0.2
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) April 14, 2025

Sunday saw all three players contribute to Houston's 7-3 victory in the series finale, ending the weekend on a high note against their division rival.

Wesneski dominated on the mound, racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings en route to his first win with the Astros.

Meanwhile, Paredes and Smith helped provide the run support against former Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks.

They both keyed Houston's five-run second inning. Smith knocked in the Astros' first run with an RBI single, then came around to score on Paredes' go-ahead three-run homer later in the frame.

Paredes has now homered in three straight games and has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games, essentially replicating Alex Bregman's production for the Boston Red Sox . Cam Smith is starting to look more comfortable in the Major Leagues with six hits and six RBI over his last five games, while Wesneski looks like a legit starter based on his 0.72 WHIP and 21:3 K/BB ratio over his first three outings for Houston.

With Tucker off to an MVP-caliber start for Chicago, this trade is looking like a win-win based on the early returns for both sides.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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