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The winter meetings are over, , and several of the have been on the move. But as teams started to , the biggest issue soon became that there was no franchise-altering player available once Soto was off the market. At least, that was the case until Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker became available. Since arriving in the big leagues in 2019, Tucker has been a force for the Astros and the true definition of a five-tool player. He owns a .274/.353/.516 slash line with 125 home runs and 94 stolen bases, and he’s an elite defender in right field. Tucker was on pace to have the best year of his career last season — with 23 homers in 79 games — before a shin fracture from a foul ball forced him to miss significant time. In recent weeks, it emerged that the Astros were open to moving the star outfielder. On Friday, in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third-base prospect Cam Smith. The deal instantly makes Tucker the best player in Chicago. For Houston, Paredes has the ability to play third or first base with pull-side power that should play at Minute Maid Park. Wesneski is a versatile arm with good stuff who pitched in 68 games with 22 starts for the Cubs, with a respectable career 3.93 ERA. But the crown jewel of the trade for the Astros is Smith. The Cubs’ 2024 first-round draft pick was one of the best hitters in college baseball before Chicago took him with the 14th overall pick last year. He performed well during his first year in pro ball, slashing .313/.396/.609 with seven homers and 24 RBI, and finished the year in Double-A. The Astros have won a lot over the past decade, including two World Series titles. The only team that has won more games than Houston since 2015 is the Los Angeles Dodgers. But keeping their winning window open for that long comes at a cost, and it left the Astros’ prospect pool pretty thin. Sources aware of Houston’s thinking told Yahoo Sports that the hope was that a Tucker trade could help replenish the farm system that allowed the Astros to reach the ALCS in seven of the past eight seasons. With such a trade now complete, Paredes slots into the Astros’ infield and lineup immediately, and Wesneski could fill multiple roles for Houston, either in the bullpen or the rotation, depending on how the remainder of their offseason shakes out. And with Smith, who was ranked as the Cubs’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the Astros might’ve acquired their third baseman of the future. The other side of the equation for Houston was that the team’s owner, Jim Crane, doesn’t seem keen on going beyond six years in a contract offer for any player, whether that was Tucker or a free agent such as Alex Bregman, . The addition of Paredes likely makes re-signing Bregman less feasible, but Houston could, in theory, move Paredes to first if they still want to retain their longtime star. What the Cubs have lacked in recent years has been a true, difference-making bat in the middle of their lineup. They haven’t had one since the days of Kris Bryant. Now Tucker provides exactly that — a player who can produce consistently on offense and carry a lineup for weeks at a time. And with other teams in the National League having game-changing players, including Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., Soto and Francisco Lindor, and the Dodgers’ three MVPs, Chicago now has an answer. The addition of Tucker also immediately makes the Cubs better on defense. With Tucker presumably in right field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left, you can make the case that the Cubs have one of the best defensive outfields in baseball. What the team will do with outfielders Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki still needs to be figured out, but this deal gives Chicago moveable assets to continue to improve the roster. And in the aftermath of this trade, the Cubs have even more incentive to keep improving. The next step for Chicago will be to land one more starting pitcher; they’ve been active in the free-agent and trade markets for starters. Adding a high-leverage arm or two in the bullpen is also a significant need and would really put a stamp on what is shaping up to be an impactful winter for the Cubs. For the Cubs, the concern with acquiring Tucker has nothing to do with his talent, which at his best puts him among the top 10 players in MLB, and everything to do with his contract situation. The 27-year-old is entering his final season of club control before he’ll hit the free-agent market next winter. With the Yankees and Soto, we just witnessed a cautionary tale about making a move such as this. New York pulled the trigger on a Soto trade to acquire what they hoped would be the final piece of their championship puzzle, and they had great success, getting all the way to the World Series before falling to the Dodgers. Despite all that, Soto decided to leave in free agency and sign with the Mets, . Tucker entering free agency after the 2025 season is almost a certainty, according to sources. After Soto signed his record-breaking deal, players such as Tucker and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is also set to be a free agent next winter, are even more incentivized to let the free-agent process play out, with potentially a $400 million-500 million payday awaiting them at the end. The Cubs traded for Tucker with full awareness that he might leave in 12 months and sign elsewhere. There is no guarantee that he will stay in Chicago or even that they will have an advantage in free-agent negotiations. In the case of the Yankees, they at least still have a top-five player in Aaron Judge following Soto’s departure, but the Cubs won’t likely have that type of security. The trio of players the Cubs gave up represent a steep price for a one-year rental. But it’s understandable that the price was so high. Tucker is the type of player who can take a team over the top as a contender or — perhaps more aptly in Chicago’s case — take a borderline playoff team and push it into October. With Soto signed, Tucker was the only player available with that kind of ability. But the Cubs need to be certain they have the rest of the pieces in place before Opening Day. Because they’ll likely get only one chance with Tucker on their roster.
Mobile homes are a viable form of low-income housing. So, why isn’t it being factored in to solve the housing crisis?
From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! Thirty-five years ago, Bilal Qayyum began working to promote peace and prevent gun violence in Philadelphia. At the time, he says gang-related violence was rampant. In response, he established the Father’s Day Rally Committee, an anti-gun and anti-violence group aiming to counter negative perceptions with positive images of Black men. “During the time when we started the campaign,” said Qayyum, director of the organization. “We realized in our meeting that we all were fathers. And that’s where the name came from.” On the Saturday before Father’s Day in June 1989, about 300 men gathered at Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia to hear local speakers highlight the positive work underway in their communities. “We were one of the first groups in this city that actually raised the issue around violence in particular as it relates to the Black community,” Qayyum said. Fast forward to 2024, and while homicides have declined, Qayyum told WHYY News that the proliferation of firearms still threatens public safety. One relatively recent phenomenon is the appearance of “ghost guns,” firearms built from kits or accessible parts and put together by an individual. Federally licensed gun manufacturers must place a serial number on every firearm, so it can be tracked. Ghost guns don’t have serial numbers. The gun-control group Everytown says, “Ghost guns are the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country.” Last year, Qayyum’s organization partnered with the Philadelphia Police Department for the city’s gun buyback program, aimed at getting firearms off the streets. “This guy came in and he turned in five ghost guns,” Qayyum said. “This is wild, but the way we do gun buybacks, you turn in the gun, no question asked.” UnitedHealthcare CEO was likely killed with a ghost gun that can be made at home A ghost gun is a firearm without a serial number. Police said Monday that the gun used in last week's shooting of Brian Thompson may have been made with a 3D printer. 4 days ago WHYY News requested data from the Philadelphia Police Department on privately-made weapons from 2020 to Dec. 9, 2024. 3D-printed firearms seized by Philadelphia police. (Philadelphia Police Department) Killing puts ghost guns in spotlight Now, the role of ghost guns is part of the investigation into the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson . Police believe University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione built the firearm used in the killing to ensure it could not be traced. One law enforcement expert says some ghost guns are completely manufactured through 3D printing, and others use 3D-printed components with parts that are available from gun kits. “They combine what is utilized in the 3D printing with the actual parts that are legitimate,” said Randy Sutton, retired lieutenant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and former patrol officer and detective with the Princeton Police Department in New Jersey. He said new advancements in artificial intelligence pose new challenges. “Technology is wonderful. It creates life-saving and life-changing technologies,” Sutton said. “But on the other hand, it also creates opportunities for those who utilize it for nefarious purposes.” Sutton added that because ghost guns are not regulated, making them go away outright is unrealistic. “There’s not a chance in the world we’re going to ban these weapons. It’s impossible,” Sutton said. “You can make them illegal to possess. But the techno barn door has already been opened.” The Biden administration has aimed to treat these firearms like regular weapons, requiring serial numbers on the parts and mandated background checks. Several states’ Attorneys General have filed lawsuits that are now under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Cour t. Shira Feldman, Director of Constitutional Litigation for the gun violence prevention organization Brady United, calls ghost guns a national threat. “Ghost guns have become weapons of choice for criminals and their proliferation cannot be ignored,” Feldman said in an email. “We’re hopeful the court will side with the safety of American people, but this ultra-conservative court, with a conservative majority solidified by former President [Donald] Trump, has proven that it has no issue ignoring the safety of the American people in favor of gun lobby rhetoric.” Gun rights groups are challenging the proposed rules in the Supreme Court , arguing they violate the Second Amendment. In March, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill to close loopholes in the Uniform Firearms Act and prohibit the purchase, sale and production of the untraceable gun parts used in ghost guns. However, the legislation failed in the state Senate . “I don’t see any legislation passing against ghost guns in the state of Pennsylvania. At least, not in my lifetime,” Qayyum said. New Jersey and Delaware are among 15 states that have laws to regulate these weapons. Get daily updates from WHYY News! The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.S&P/TSX composite up Friday, U.S. stock markets also rise
UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New YorkThis proverb points to the observation that oak trees tend to retain their leaves longer than other trees as winter approaches. It suggests that when the oak tree is still holding onto its leaves, it is a sign that colder temperatures are imminent. The reasoning behind this is that oaks, with their thick and broad leaves, are more resistant to cold weather and will only shed their leaves when winter truly sets in.In response to the recent incident where a mother and daughter were able to bring knives on board a train in China, the official ticket booking website 12306 has clarified that the length of the scissors they used was within the allowable limit for passengers to carry on trains.