Mariners have exactly the right excuse to go all-in on signing Kyle Tucker

After coming eight outs away from their first World Series berth, the Seattle Mariners are hungry. And if this offseason has made anything clear, it’s that the Mariners need one more star-level bat to bridge the gap between annual competitiveness and legitimate World Series aspirations.

Enter Kyle Tucker, who should not be as far beyond the Mariners' reach as it seems.

Tucker is exactly the kind of player Seattle has been missing: a left-handed hitter with legitimate power, elite plate discipline, and plenty of postseason experience. He’s not a boom-or-bust slugger or a one-dimensional corner outfielder. He’s a complete player in the middle of his prime, the kind of guy you can drop into the three-spot on Opening Day and build around for the next half-decade. He’d be a massive upgrade over Dominic Canzone and Victor Robles in right field.

This is exactly the right time for the Mariners to go all-out for someone like Kyle Tucker

After years of platoons, upside bets, and short-term stopgaps in the corner outfield spots, the Mariners finally went out and acquired a legitimate left fielder in Randy Arozarena last year. It’s time do the same in right field by signing Tucker. He is consistent, with a high floor and a high ceiling. He’s durable, and will provide an easy 25 home runs a year while also posting a high on-base percentage.

An outfield of Tucker, Arozarena, and Julio Rodríguez would arguably be the best in baseball. It might not even be close, with three All-Stars patrolling the grass at T-Mobile Park. Attendance would likely increase, and the chances of winning a World Series would increase as well.

The only question with Tucker is if the fans would ever be able to truly embrace him after his tenure with the rival Astros. The good news is that Tucker was not on the 2017 squad caught for cheating, so unlike the other big-name former Astro free agent (Alex Bregman), Mariners fans would likely forgive Tucker much quicker.

It is true that Tucker will cost real money — probably somewhere in the $35 million-per-year range at minimum. But if the Mariners are serious about building a sustainable contender, then the days of bargain-bin shopping need to end. We saw what happened when subpar right fielders had to play in the postseason. Canzone and Robles did hardly anything against the Tigers and Blue Jays, and were a big reason why the team went down in the ALCS.

Signing Tucker would allow the Mariners to move Canzone to a bench role, and if Seattle does believe in him, he could eventually take over for Arozarena in left field. However, the Mariners can’t bank on Canzone to be at a championship level next year.

To be the best version of themselves, signing Kyle Tucker is what they need.