The Chicago Cubs, as most everyone probably knows by now, failed to come to an agreement with the newly acquired Kyle Tucker and his people on a 2025 salary, thereby forcing an arbitration hearing.

The Cubs and newly acquired OF Kyle Tucker could not come to an agreement on a salary for 2025, per a source. The Cubs filed at $15 mil. Tucker's camp at $17.5 mil. The Cubs acquired Tucker on Dec. 13 in one of the biggest trades of the MLB offseason so far.

The Cubs have traditionally taken a file-and-trial approach to arbitration, even though teams and players are free to reach an agreement before the date of their scheduled hearing. The Cubs did, however, make an exception with catcher Willson Contreras after the lockout in 2022, when arbitration hearings were held in-season.

When the Chicago Cubs made the blockbuster deal to bring in three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, after the initial excitement from the fan base wore down a bit, thoughts turned to Tucker’s future beyond 2025.

The Houston Astros moved quickly to replace Alex Bregman, and he hasn't even signed anywhere new yet. What is their plan to make up for the loss of Kyle Tucker? Tucker was sensational in right field for the Astros for the last five years,