Astros Boss Admits First Year Following Blockbuster Trade Could Be Hard to Stomach

After trading Kyle Tucker away, Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown says the first year following the deal could be tough to deal with.

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Whenever a team makes a blockbuster deal, they are hoping what they bring in outweighs what they sent out, and for the Houston Astros, that is going to be a hard bar to clear.

Kyle Tucker is not only one of the best outfielders in the game, but he's one of the best players in Major League Baseball.

That's evident by the 23.0 bWAR figure he's put up since he became a full-time player in 2020.

But, it can't be ignored the package that the Astros got back in return, bringing in Isaac Paredes to take over at third base if Alex Bregman departs, adding another pitcher to their staff and landing Cam Smith, who is already their top-ranked prospect.

This certainly sets themselves up for the future while also allowing them to compete in 2025, but the optics of trading away someone like Tucker is hard to get past.

Houston's general manager Dana Brown knows that, and even admitted the first year following this deal could be something that is hard to handle for the organization and fan base.

"It's tough in that first year to stomach because Kyle Tucker has had such a great career here. He's such an outstanding player. He's played on some really good teams, won a championship," he stated per Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle.

There is a good chance the star is the best player for the Chicago Cubs this upcoming season, and if the Astros struggle and aren't able to win the AL West title for the first time in four years, then there certainly will be a subsect of fans who won't be happy with this decision.

However, this is also a long-term play.

Houston was unlikely to get an extension worked out with Tucker, especially after the contract Juan Soto just signed, so getting back this type of package for the impending free agent is a huge win for the franchise.

"This is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, 'Wow, yeah. I understand it now. I get it' ... I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year," Brown added.

Time will tell.

The decision to ship out Tucker is going to be received much more favorably if the Astros are able to continue contending like they have when their other past stars have departed for other franchises.