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The Chicago Cubs never seemed that interested in bringing Kyle Tucker back as a free agent signing this offseason.
The superstar outfielder instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a wild four-year contract worth a total of $240 million ($60 million per year before deferrals).
There actually might've been good reason for the Cubs not to be too involved, though. When you break down their replacement plan, it looks pretty solid.
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Last season, Seiya Suzuki was often the designated hitter with Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ in the outfield. So the first order of business is that Suzuki heads back into the outfield full time.
That leaves the DH spot open, but the Cubs have the perfect option there: Moises Ballesteros. He's a 22-year old lefty swinger who is conceptually a catcher but really is mostly a hitter. He may not quite be on Tucker's level as a hitter, but he's ready to be a major contributor in the batting order right now.
And as far as production goes, the Cubs didn't slack there. They signed Alex Bregman, who will take over third base duties, bring his big bat along and also provides great leadership in the clubhouse.
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All told, the Cubs' lineup doesn't look any worse off than last season's, and they avoided paying Tucker a potential albatross of a contract.
It obviously hurts that he's now helping out a National League foe, but that was always a possible outcome when the Cubs decided to let him get away.
At least Chicago did a good job of reloading to make its own postseason push, too.
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