Cubs quietly reveal Kyle Tucker replacement plan and fans won’t like what it means

The GM Meetings have provided even more confirmation that the Chicago Cubs aren't planning on seriously engaging Kyle Tucker on a return to Chicago. Beyond that, it would seem that the Cubs' plan to replace Tucker's offense is underwhelming, especially since they would enter the season with a large question mark instead of the expectation they had with Tucker's arrival last spring training.

It's possible the Cubs add an outfielder to the mix; they have been linked to Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell, but the early impression is that the Cubs will be replacing Tucker internally. The Athletic's Patrick Mooney provided an update on what Tucker's departure means for the Cubs, and the indication is that the Cubs will be playing Seiya Suzuki in right field with Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros seeing a run as the team's designated hitter next season.

The Chicago Cubs have a plan to replace Kyle Tucker, the problem is they are ignoring a major red flag from the end of the season.

It's worth noting that the Cubs adding a right-handed bat like Adell would still make sense under that plan, considering both Caissie and Ballesteros are left-handed hitters.

In a vacuum, sure, the Cubs need to be willing to give their top prospects some runway at the Major League level. Caissie and Ballesteros are ready for roles on the Major League roster, but through the lens of replacing a Silver Slugger, the Cubs are setting themselves up for failure.

The Cubs were a 92-win team last season but finished 5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division. Not only that, but the Brewers were the team that beat them in the NLDS, and the World Series proved a big gap remains between where the Cubs are and where they should be.

And for as much as Hoyer wants to tout the fact that the Cubs could roll out a starting lineup for a game tomorrow, he can't ignore the struggles the offense had during the second half of the season and in the playoffs. It's a catch-22 that Hoyer talked himself into, as the reason he wasn't worried about how the offense looked at the end of the season was because of how strong they were at the start. The difference was a healthy Tucker.