Kyle Tucker plays the villain with Dodgers while showing love to old Astros teammate

There's no love lost when it comes to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros, which is why it is going to be a very strange sight to see Kyle Tucker in a Dodgers uniform. Tucker signed an insanely creative and expensive deal with Los Angeles and was officially introduced earlier this week. In doing so, he paid homage to one of his former teammates.

With Dodgers manager Dave Robert having the No. 30 jersey, in part, as a tribute to the late Maury Wills, Tucker revealed that he will wear the No. 23 with the Dodgers. In explaining the decision, the Astros' former first-round pick explained that it was to honor Michael Brantley.

Brantley was a veteran mentor to Tucker while the two were in Houston and, of course, an influential voice in the team's clubhouse during their run at the top of the American League West. The connection certainly makes sense for anyone who has followed the Astros over the past decade, but it won't hide the fact that Tucker tarnished his reputation with his decision to sign with the Dodgers.

Kyle Tucker's homage to Michael Brantley won't disguise the fact that he sold out with his decision to sign with the Dodgers

Tucker can have a corny smile and say all the right things, but there is no hiding the fact that many baseball fans will view him differently moving forward. Tucker was the quiet superstar with the Astros, and his year with the Chicago Cubs may have exposed some of what was hidden in Houston.

There is no doubt that when Tucker is healthy, he is one of the best offensive players in the game. But the "when healthy" part of the equation has become a larger piece of the conversation, considering how injury management concerns surrounded his final season with the Astros and were at the center of his relationship with the Cubs falling apart last fall.

Tucker chose the Dodgers for the simple reason that they offered him a king's ransom while also allowing him to abandon ship in a couple of years, and seek another payday. No fault to him, he's earned that right, but spare Houston from the charade. Astros fans don't need the olive branch of you paying respect to your time in Houston.