Fans can breathe a sigh of relief after Cubs, Kyle Tucker avoid arbitration

In a move that felt like a must for the front office, the Chicago Cubs and star outfielder Kyle Tucker avoided going to an arbitration hearing next month, agreeing on a $16.5 million salary for 2025 - and sparing us all from an entire weekend's worth of arbitration-related questions at Cubs Convention in the process.

Jed Hoyer caught a ton of flak when he failed to reach a deal with Tucker ahead of last week's deadline - but with this matter behind them, all sides can move forward with preparation for spring training, which kicks off in mid-February.

Tucker is coming off a brilliant, albeit injury-shortened, 2024 season with the Houston Astros. He piled up 4.7 bWAR in just 339 trips to the plate, posting a career-best .993 OPS. The Cubs sent Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and top prospect Cam Smith to Houston earlier this offseason to land the three-time All-Star, finally getting that badly-needed superstar in the middle of the lineup.

The move likely pushes Seiya Suzuki to a full-time DH/occasional fourth outfielder role - and it remains to be seen how he'll handle that. He had tremendous success as the Cubs' designated hitter late last season but voiced his displeasure with being a full-time DH through his agent Joel Wolfe, during the Winter Meetings.

It's not just the Cubs who have high hopes for what Tucker could do in 2025. He has the fifth-best odds of winning National League MVP, according to FanDuel, and could help unlock a new level for the offense, which seemed to hit its stride down the stretch last summer. Getting off to a strong start - something they've failed to do in each of the previous two years - is critical for Craig Counsell's club.

Tucker will meet fans for the first time this weekend at the Sheraton as the team's annual Cubs Convention takes center stage. Having this matter settled will only buoy spirits, which are already high given Sammy Sosa's long-awaited return to the organization. The arrival of King Tuck, with the arbitration matter safely settled, and the return of Slammin' Sammy should make for one unforgettable weekend and get the fanbase fired up for a new year of Cubs baseball.