Houston Astros fans knew well before Kyle Tucker was traded to the Chicago Cubs that he wasn't going to spend the rest of his career in Space City. If Houston ever had plans to lock up Tucker on a long-term extension, those hopes faded after his first All-Star season in 2022. He put up even better numbers in 2023, and it became a matter of when, not if, the Astros were going to trade him.
The Astros ultimately settled on a deal last offseason with the Cubs that brought back Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith, and Hayden Wesneski in return.