Latest Kyle Tucker contract idea is begging for the Cubs to be involved

Kyle Tucker's free agency has matched the sense of his final two months with the Chicago Cubs last season: awkward. Despite entering the offseason as the perceived best position player on the free-agent market, Tucker's market hasn't exactly developed in the way that will create a path toward him landing a long-term deal this offseason.

It feels like there is a combination of concerns that are stunting Tucker's market. Tucker's final two months in Chicago didn't just turn heads within the Cubs' organization; it turned heads across Major League Baseball, with some questioning his desire to play.

Availability has also been a concern for Tucker in each of the last two seasons. Even when Tucker tried to play through an injury last season with the Cubs, he was a far cry from the player he was during the first half of the season.

Throw in the looming CBA battle, and it's clear that teams might be shying away from the idea of giving Tucker a long-term contract. It's why ESPN's Buster Olney floated the idea of Tucker potentially taking a short-term deal with a high AAV as a way to reset his value.

If Kyle Tucker is forced to take a short-term deal, the Cubs need to be involved.

During a recent podcast, Olney suggested two contract structures for Tucker: A one-year deal worth $52M with a $52 option for 2027 or a two-year deal worth $86M with an option after 2027 and 2028.

Either of those deals would push the Cubs over the first level of the luxury tax, and until they do so, it's fair to question their willingness to be a luxury tax payer.

That being said, when healthy, the Cubs are aware of the reality that Tucker transforms their lineup. It's fair to have long-term questions about Tucker, but for either of the structures that Olney outlined, the Cubs should be involved in the process.

Now, for Tucker, faced with a potential scenario where the Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all offering short-term contract structures, a return to Chicago would likely be the least desired outcome.

Part of the reason why Tucker would take this type of deal is because of the need to restore his value, and offensively, he would likely have a better chance of doing that while playing half of his games in Los Angeles or a climate-controlled stadium like the Rogers Centre in Toronto.