Kyle Tucker, Cubs agree to 1-year, $16.5 million deal, avoid arbitration hearing: Source

The Chicago Cubs avoided an arbitration hearing against Kyle Tucker by reaching an agreement on a one-year, $16.5 million contract with the All-Star outfielder, a league source confirmed to The Athletic .

Thursdays news, which was first reported by ESPN, came roughly 24 hours before the start of Cubs Convention, and a week after the two sides failed to make a deal at Major League Baseball s filing deadline.

Advertisement This resolution eliminates what would have been a negative storyline at the teams annual winter event, and removes one potential distraction as Tucker prepares for his final season before becoming a free agent.

The Cubs made Tucker the centerpiece of their offseason when they acquired him from the Houston Astros .

In giving up infielder Isaac Paredes , pitcher Hayden Wesneski and elite prospect Cam Smith , the Cubs got one of baseballs best all-around players.

Even if its just for one season, Tucker represents a worthwhile risk for a team that needed a dynamic hitter to elevate what has been an 83-win team for the past two years.

Whatever happens next, its highly unlikely that the Cubs and Tucker will hammer out a long-term contract extension during the season.

In exchanging salary numbers, the Cubs had submitted $15 million while Tuckers camp countered at $17.5 million.

Tucker was projected to earn $15.8 million through the arbitration system this year, according to the model run by MLB Trade Rumors.

The delayed agreement was a surprising but not necessarily shocking development, given the intricacies of MLBs arbitration process.

Tucker lost an arbitration hearing against the Astros ahead of the 2023 season, but he will not go through a similar experience with his new team.

Jed Hoyers front office also showed some flexibility with whats known as a file-and-trial policy within the baseball industry, leaving some room to negotiate and not treating the exchange date as a hard deadline.

With Tucker among the big group of current players expected to attend Cubs Convention this weekend at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, the arbitration question has already been answered.

GO DEEPER Cubs' Justin Steele on Kyle Tucker, contract talks and Sammy Sosa's Convention return (Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images).

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