Most likely, Kyle Tucker’s free agency will drag on for a while.

Whenever there’s the kind of money on the line that there appears to be with Tucker, the bidding process usually isn’t over quickly.

But this weekend, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian provided something for Chicago Cubs fans that there hasn’t been a ton of in this situation: hope.

The Cubs have been generally assumed to not really be in the Tucker market, despite having traded two key pieces for him just last offseason.

But Bastian laid out the case for why Tucker might stay:

“Tucker genuinely seemed to enjoy his first season with the Cubs, speaking highly of the atmosphere created behind the scenes by the veterans on a team that should be in contention for multiple seasons. And simply put, when Tucker was healthy and in the lineup, Chicago’s offense was one of the best all-around units in baseball. The Cubs have a very workmanlike approach as a group, and that also fit Tucker’s low-key personality. If the market does not generate the kind of offer the star outfielder is seeking, he knows what he has in Chicago, and it was a good thing with a solid future outlook.”

Bastian does then acknowledge that the Cubs might not offer Tucker as big a contract as someone in free agency would, but it’s hard to predict these things. Maybe, as he writes, the market doesn’t quite develop as people are expecting.

Tucker had a really good first half for the Cubs, then struggled at the plate in the second half while he battled injuries.

There’s plenty of reason to believe Tucker will remain one of the best hitters in baseball for years to come.

If the Cubs can end up with Tucker back in their lineup, they certainly won’t complain. They’ll just need a few things to break in their favor.

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