Toronto met with the slugging outfielder.
Mostly unbeknownst to the public until Sunday night, the Toronto Blue Jays have already had a meeting with free agent slugger Kyle Tucker this offseason.
And they're not the only ones, according to Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio.
He posted the following on social media:
A League source confirmed to me that the three main teams involved in the Tucker negotiations (Tor, LAD, NYM) have all met with the player, either in person or over Zoom, as part of the recruiting process for a star player. Will be interesting to see if any of the 3 teams increase their offers soon to separate themselves from the other
Tucker did visit the Blue Jays player development complex in Florida earlier this offseason, so it's unclear if that is the meeting that Duquette has referenced, or if there was an additional one.
About Tucker
The pre-eminent free agent on the market this offseason, Tucker is now 28 years old, but he'll turn 29 laster this week. Already a four-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a Gold Glover and a World Series champion (2022), he's spent seven years with the Houston Astros and one with the Chicago Cubs.
He has five seasons of 20 homers or more and two of 30 or more, and he also has two seasons of 100+ RBIs. A good defender and a solid baserunner, he also has three seasons of at least 25 stolen bases.
He's got a career OPS+ of 140.
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How he'd slot in with the Jays
Tucker would figure to play right field, with Daulton Varsho in center and one of George Springer/Anthony Santander in left. For what it's worth, Tucker does have 72 career games of experience in left, so there's a chance he could play there if necessary. Varsho is a free agent at the end of 2026, so Tucker could also play center field in the future if needed.
Regardless of how the alignment shakes out, Addison Barger would get forced to third base with Ernie Clement going to second. Andres Gimenez would play shortstop and Kazuma Okamoto would serve in a super-utility role.
Offensively, he'd just make an already great lineup that much better. Toronto would remain favorites in the American League.
What else it means
It means there's no room for Bichette, in all likelihood. While he hasn't officially signed somewhere else yet, the momentum is building for Bichette to leave Toronto. He's meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees both have interest.
Back to Tucker
If Tucker heads to the Dodgers, that would be a death knell for the rest of the National League West and would make life tougher on Toronto should the two meet in the World Series again. If Tucker signed with the Mets, it would be disappointing, but the Mets still have holes to address before they are thought of as World Series contenders.
How about the money?
We've heard anything from $300 million to $500 million, and there's always the chance of a high-value short-term deal. Stay tuned.
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