Cubs Reach $16.5M Deal with Kyle Tucker

With a quiet offseason since acquiring Kyle Tucker, Cubs fans needed some good news. That didn’t happen last week, when the team couldn’t reach a salary agreement on with Tucker ahead of the arbitration deadline. Heading to an arbitration trial isn’t the end of the world, but it certainly isn’t the look you want after acquiring a superstar. The Cubs filed at $15 million with Tucker asking for $17.5 million. That small difference looks a little bigger when you’re operating on a reduced budget, as it seems Jed Hoyer is this winter.

Cubs Convention starts Friday and Tucker is the biggest current player on the list, so Cubs made sure to finalize a deal to avoid any added negativity. Jesse Rogers was the first to report that Tucker will earn $16.5 million in 2025, a little than halfway between their filed figures. These negotiations shouldn’t affect his future with the ballclub when it comes to a possible extension, so it’s all about whether the Cubs are willing to pay up and Tucker is willing to listen.

This means all of the Cubs’ arbitration-eligible players have now signed one-year deals, keeping the team away from the arbitration table.