Free agent outfielder apparently wants long deal with whomever he will play for next season. Blue Jays seem to have an edge, but Mets and Dodgers are still in the picture.
Kyle Tucker wants a long-term contract and some big bucks. Tucker, who played last season for the Chicago Cubs after being traded there by the Houston Astros, has been on the free agent market for some time.
There's enough chatter online on Thursday about Tucker's supposed landing spot that it's going to spin some heads. The MLB world has pared down his three choices to these teams: The Toronto Blue Jays (who might have an inside edge), the New York Mets, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For those who might think this just make-believe fodder, no more powerful MLB media voice than Jon Heyman of the New York Post is including all three teams. Heyman put out a short post on X that indicated the Blue Jays, Mets, and Dodgers are still part of the Tucker news cycle.
The Mets, according to Heyman, offered Tucker a $50 million-per-year deal. Some reports have indicated that Tucker wants a $100 million contract.
Any Dodgers fan knows that the franchise has deep, deep financial pockets. But it appears that Tucker might not want to play for a club in a major market. Maybe Tucker doesn't feel comfortable in a big-market atmosphere.
He was a part of one last season in Chicago. While Houston is one of the largest cities and metropolitan areas in the United States, when it comes to the MLB, it's not really among the major markets. It should be in the group, but that's not totally viewed in the same picture as Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York.
Last season for the Cubs, Tucker hit .266 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs. He finished with an .841 OPS, too. In just three of his seven seasons with the Astros, Tucker played in 150 or more games. He is prone to injury, yet, when healthy, can hit with the best of them.
Also, his defensive play in the outfield is always stellar. Tucker has played postseason baseball in the last seven seasons, six with the Astros and one with the Cubs. He'd bring that to any team which ends up signing him.
Things are still being worked out between Tucker, his representatives, and whichever team he lands on either Thursday, or Friday, or this weekend.
The Dodgers would welcome Tucker to their outfield. It would be an immediate upgrade and maybe even make one of their current outfielders available for a trade.
In the MLB world, the clock is ticking for King Tuck.
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