Sports
Astros trade OF Kyle Tucker to Cubs following hectic 72-hour window
By Chandler Rome, Ken Rosenthal, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney
DALLAS — The Houston Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon, completing a frenzied 72 hours for two clubs confronting a crossroads.
The Astros will receive a package that includes infielder Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and infield prospect Cam Smith, league sources told The Athletic.
For a Cubs team that was in desperate need of a star, Tucker answers one of the biggest questions facing the organization since trading away the World Series core at the 2021 trade deadline. Working within ownership’s parameters, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has hesitated to pay free-agent prices for the biggest names in recent offseasons, falling well short when the Los Angeles Dodgers landed Shohei Ohtani last winter and not even entering the Juan Soto bidding war won by the New York Mets.
Tucker is projected to earn a $15.8 million salary this winter — his last as an arbitration-eligible player. Tucker will turn 28 in January and, next winter, should command a massive payday in the wake of Soto’s $765 million contract with the Mets.
Among all major-league outfielders, only Soto, Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts have accumulated more wins above replacement than Tucker since 2020. A fractured shin cost Tucker 79 games last season, but he still managed to produce 4.7 bWAR and a 181 OPS+ across 339 plate appearances.
Trading Tucker is a departure from Houston’s standard operating procedure during this decade of dominance, but payroll bloated by misallocated money coupled with a fallow farm system all but forced third-year general manager Dana Brown to make Tucker available.
That Houston owner Jim Crane has never guaranteed a player more than $151 million must’ve factored into the discussion, too. In the wake of Soto’s contract, Tucker could receive a free-agent deal next winter worth at least $400 million.
For the Cubs, this is the next level of a more transactional, data-driven strategy under Hoyer, who’s entering the final season of the five-year contract he signed when he replaced Theo Epstein.
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Why Kyle Tucker fits what the Chicago Cubs are looking for
The Cubs acquired Paredes less than five months ago from the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up Christopher Morel and two young pitchers. The Astros had heavy interest in Paredes during the trade deadline and, according to one major-league source, “finished second” to the Cubs in bidding.
At that trade deadline, the Cubs did not operate as traditional buyers or sellers, taking a blended approach to adding and subtracting major-league talent while trying to build for the future.
That evolving philosophy had led the Cubs to Wesneski, a pitcher targeted at the 2022 trade deadline for his potential upside as a starter. The Cubs swapped Scott Effross, a sidearm reliever under long-term control, for Wesneski, an upper-level prospect in the New York Yankees’ farm system.
Wesneski, who grew up in the Houston area, didn’t quite put it all together at Wrigley Field, but he has been an effective major-league swingman and could benefit from a change of scenery.
The Cubs selected Smith out of Florida State in the first round of this year’s draft, adding him to their growing group of top-100 prospects. That gradual accumulation of young talent opened new possibilities and encouraged a deliberate front office to make a blockbuster win-now trade.
But despite paying a hefty price, Hoyer now has an offensive centerpiece. It’s a group with solid — but not spectacular — talent. Surrounding Tucker with the likes of Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki — along with Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson — extends a lineup that lacked the type of player that opponents have to game plan around. Tucker’s presence will elevate the rest of the group and help bring some stability to a lineup that too often went in deep funks.
The price to acquire Tucker was hefty — especially for a player who’s only one season away from free agency — but he changes the dynamic of this Cubs offense. Since 2020, only nine players have topped Tucker’s 143 wRC+ during that span. Since 2010, only Anthony Rizzo or Kris Bryant have put up a season of 140 wRC+ or greater in a Cubs uniform.
Tucker also is an all-around threat as a strong baserunner and a Gold Glove winner in right field. He has extensive postseason experience, having played in 64 playoff games and helping the Astros win the 2022 World Series.
The Cubs expect Tucker to help them get back to October baseball at Wrigley Field.
Required reading
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
Sports
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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Sports
NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.
The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.
The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.
Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.
Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.
In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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