Will the Cubs make a run at Kyle Tucker this offseason?

Jim Rassol - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 17 hours ago

Now that the MLB offseason is officially here, it's time to focus on what the Cubs will and should, we say, won't do during the MLB free agent period. There is no question that this year's free agent class is loaded with talent, and it's the type of talent that teams dream about, as numerous players can be viewed as game-changing.

One of those players is Right Fielder Kyle Tucker, who finished his season with the Cubs in an up-and-down manner and now will hit the market looking to command 400-plus million dollars. Whether or not he is worth that kind of money remains to be seen, but everyone knows the Cubs aren't going to fork out that kind of dough for one single player.

Even then, it doesn't mean the Cubs won't at the very least make a run for Tucker, as his importance in this lineup this past season was something the team hasn't seen in years. If Tucker weren't a Boras client, you would like the Cubs' chances a whole lot more to sign him, but as things stand, he is one of the biggest question marks as Free Agency gets underway.

There is no denying that when healthy, Tucker is arguably one of the top-five players in this league, but at worst, he will be a top-10 player. You saw that early in the season, when Tucker was playing at an MVP level, but once he jammed his thumb, you started to see a decline in his numbers, and it took him a long time to get back to form.

Once he started to round back into form, another injury struck Tucker, as a quad injury kept him out of the lineup for nearly the entire month of September, and he was unable to recover. That alone has people looking at this season as a lost season for the right fielder, as the Cubs didn't get what they expected from Tucker this season.

Even with the struggles and injuries he had to deal with, Tucker still put up solid numbers, continuing to be a force when he was at his best. Granted, his average was way down from where he was accustomed to at .266, but with 22 homers and 73 RBIs, he still showed the power potential that he has. Tucker also swiped 27 bases and continued to take as many walks as strikeouts, as his keen eye at the plate is one of his biggest attributes.

Normally, when a player puts up numbers like that, you would view them as a must to resign. While Tucker is considered a must by some, considering what the Cubs were expecting to get from him, this was a down year for him, which is why he is a massive question mark this offseason.

Should the Cubs lose out on Tucker this offseason, which appears to be the case, they need to devise an immediate plan, as the Cubs were 77-57 when Tucker was in the lineup. When he was out of the lineup, the Cubs managed to go 15-13, which translates to an 87-75 pace. While 87 wins may get you into the playoffs, it won't win you this division, as Craig Counsell has already said that 90 wins must be the minimum goal for this team every year.

Had Tucker not gotten hurt, there is no question that he was on pace for a 40-homer, 100 RBI season, but his impact goes even further than that. Having a healthy Tucker makes everyone in this lineup that much better, and that alone was a huge reason why the Cubs had the best record in the National League until the All-Star break.

A healthy Tucker not only puts them in a position to win the NL Central over the Brewers, but they may have even been more aggressive at the deadline, which could have resulted in a better season. As is the case with every free agent, the overall financial responsibilities are what are going to keep the Cubs from signing him, as the price range for Tucker is a mystery, considering the year he had.

If you are basing everything on his overall results, Tucker is going to get paid, but the numbers he put up would earn him 20-25 million per season. That would be a range the Cubs would feel comfortable going with, even if it meant committing eight years to that salary. However, if you are basing his value solely on the potential, he does have a $ 40-50 million potential, and that is the price range the Cubs will never touch.

Knowing that a potential lockout is coming, you can expect Tucker to put the pressure on everyone as he will look to lock in what could be one of the last big-time contracts for a while. However, you also have to consider the possibility that teams may be skeptical about handing out big deals, given what is to come, as you could see a ton of one-year deals or even short-term contracts this offseason.

Those are the deals that the Cubs' front office has come to love in the past, and if Tucker were willing to sign a short-term contract, you could see the Cubs outspend their budget on a player like Tucker. A deal like that would give the Cubs the impact player they need for at least a few seasons, and it would allow the Cubs to get out from that contract sooner rather than later.