DALLAS — Jed Hoyer has been working in baseball long enough to know never to feel too comfortable that deal is close to being done.

Like the Bears in Washington D.C. earlier this year, being on the doorstep of the opposing team’s endzone doesn’t mean anything.

“I always say it’s not just about getting in the end zone,” the Cubs president of baseball operations said on Wednesday at the Hilton Anatole Resort. “It’s about literally like you have to kick the extra point before you feel like that six [points] is actually real.”

[WATCH: Jed Hoyer sums up 2024 Winter Meetings activity]

That doesn’t mean, though, that the Cubs haven’t started building an offensive drive.

“We think we’ve moved the ball down the field on a bunch of things and had a bunch of good conversations,” Hoyer said as the annual Winter Meetings wrap up.

The Cubs have engaged the Astros on a potential trade for outfielder Kyle Tucker, sources confirmed. A deal isn’t necessarily close, but it certainly could be one of those conversations that have begun to gain traction that Hoyer mentioned.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported talks of that trade and mentioned Seiya Suzuki, Isaac Paredes and 2024 1st-round pick Cam Smith as players the Astros were interested in.

Jon Heyman reported a similar package of players Wednesday afternoon:

The Cubs have been transparent that their clearest way to improving a team that has won 83 games in two straight years comes through the trade market. And, while the Winter Meetings have been condensed in length, there’s still that immediacy of connection.

[MORE: Amid a flurry of rumors, Cubs know their path likely is trade market]

Every team is bunkered in their respective suites, pursuing any avenue that can improve their team. That leads to more conversation and quicker back-and-forth.

That isn’t the case earlier in the offseason.

“You can throw a proposal out or a concept and a week later, you hear back,” Hoyer said. “I think when you’re here, like it’s more in the hours, usually.

“I think you can make progress here. It’s just a lot quicker.”

[MORE: Seiya Suzuki’s agent expresses discontent over role with Cubs]

A deal for Tucker can be the type of game-changing move that the Cubs need. It’s no secret that the Cubs are in search of a player who can change their offensive dynamic.

Tucker certainly fits that bill. His 4.7 bWAR would rank tops on the team and his 23 home runs would rank second. And those numbers are incredible when you factor in he played just 78 games due to injury in 2024. Since breaking in as a full-time major leaguer in 2020, Tucker has never had an OPS below .808.

Again, none of that means the deal will result in a touchdown, but the offensive is moving. They just need the big play to elevate their roster.

“I think that we have a very balanced, solid team,” Hoyer said. “If we’re going to improve on our position player group in particular, it has to be a notable increase. We’re not just going to move marginally.”