The new Cubs outfielder will avoid an arbitration hearing
At last week’s deadline for MLB teams to sign arbitration-eligible players before the teams and players would go to an arb hearing, the Cubs came to an agreement with all their arb-eligible players.
Except one, newly-acquired Kyle Tucker. The team submitted an offer of $15 million and Tucker asked for $17.5 million.
Today, the Cubs and Tucker have a deal:
The Cubs have avoided arbitration with OF Kyle Tucker with a $16.5M deal for this coming season, per source.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers had the news first.
— Jordan Bastian (@bastianmlb.bsky.social) 2025-01-16T21:03:21.113Z
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So Tucker got a bit more than the midpoint of the request and the offer, and the team and player are all set for 2025. Why this couldn’t have been done last week is beyond me, but that’s the way these things sometimes go.
Tucker is scheduled to appear at this weekend’s Cubs Convention, where he’ll get his first look at a very passionate fanbase. Hopefully he’ll enjoy his time in Chicago this year enough to want to stick around for a long-term deal — and that the team makes it worth his while to stay.
As always, we await developments.