Cubs and slugger Kyle Tucker agree on a $16.5 million salary for 2025 to avoid arbitration

Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune on Jan 16, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker’s introduction to the Chicago Cubs organization won’t involve an arbitration hearing during spring training.

The Cubs and their new slugger have agreed to a $16.5 million salary for 2025 to avoid arbitration, a source confirmed to the Chicago Tribune on Thursday. Tucker had filed at $17.5 million while the Cubs were at $15 million, which had been the largest gap among arbitration-eligible players who had not reached terms with their respective teams.

It settles the contract situation for the 27-year-old outfielder heading into the team’s annual fan convention this weekend, where Tucker’s first taste of the Cubs experience potentially could have featured awkward questions about his short-term contract situation ahead of his free agency following the season.

The Cubs acquired Tucker on Dec. 13 from the Houston Astros, adding a star to the middle of their order. Despite missing nearly three months with a right shin fracture last season, Tucker still put up 4.7 WAR and hit 23 home runs in only 78 games. It wasn’t far off what he delivered in 2022-23 (5.4 WAR each season in at least 150 games).

Now, Tucker and the Cubs can focus on the season ahead, which gets underway Feb. 9 when pitchers and catchers hold their first workout in Mesa, Ariz.