Top 3 Suitors for Free Agent Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs, celebrates a HR in the dugout

Kyle Tucker has been out since Sept. 2, dealing with a strained calf. His absence, so far, hasn't hurt the Chicago Cubs too much in their chase to lock down a Wild Card berth. It's also safe to say that the injury won't affect his free agency this winter. At all. Tucker is going to be a very rich young man.

In fact, the 28-year-old is likely to haul in the 4th largest contract in baseball history. A survey by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel indicates that most observers expect Tucker to land a deal very close to the $400 mark in overall value.

So which team will be ready to pay that? Of course, one franchise immediately springs to mind, and that's where we'll start our look at the three top suitors for Kyle Tucker:

Los Angeles Dodgers

McDaniel surveyed industry experts about Tucker's upcoming free agency, and had this to say:

"The Los Angeles Dodgers, longtime fans of Tucker, were mentioned by a number of industry insiders. We didn't ask about a projected team, so the Dodgers coming up often seems to be indicative of a feeling in the industry that they're the team to beat."

The defending World Series champs don't have many weaknesses, but if you want to pinpoint one, it would be the outfield. Tucker would be a huge addition for them. And if the Dodgers are 'big fans' of Tucker, it would be tough to bet against them.

Philadelphia Phillies

Another World Series challenger this season, and another team without many weak spots. But, like LA, the outfield is certainly in need of a star-level upgrade. And we know that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is not one to shy away from spending money to bring in the big splashy name. The only problem here is that they will also have to spend another outrageous sum of money this offseason to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, so you just have to wonder at what point does ownership finally close the vault?

San Francisco Giants

Now, to say that the Giants' outfield is in need of a huge upgrade is a massive understatement. San Franscisco has been taking the big free agent swings for years, rarely to hit a home run though. They did land Willy Adames last winter, and were able to swing a trade for a huge star addition this season in Rafael Devers. Would Tucker agree to bring his offensive talents to an offense-challenge environment like Oracle Park? If he did, it could be the move to make the team a serious contender.

As for the incumbent Cubs? McDaniel has the last word here:

"There was little confidence from those surveyed (none of whom work for the Cubs) about the Cubs winning a bidding war for Tucker."