The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the more active teams in Major League Baseball since the season ended, but their offseason is still an incomplete project.
Toronto signed starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, so the rotation is in a good spot. The bullpen also projects to be better after the acquisition of submariner Tyler Rogers. But with longtime Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette still unsigned, Toronto is missing one more big bat to boost its odds for another World Series run.
However, Bichette might not be the big bat the Blue Jays sign, because they caused a stir when they hosted four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker for a visit before the winter meetings. And in light of the latest report on Tucker’s market, the Blue Jays should frankly be considered the favorites.
On Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided named the Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers as the three main power players for Tucker, while hinting that other teams might become interested the longer things drag out.
“The Blue Jays are the other team here that makes so much sense for Tucker,” wrote Murray. “They love to hunt big-game. They are coming off a World Series appearance, coming within two inches of winning a championship. What better way to go all-in for 2026 and beyond by signing the top free agent on the market? It makes too much sense for the Jays to ignore.”
What stands out about Murray’s report is the fact that only three teams are mentioned, plus the Dodgers’ threat level was seemingly downplayed. Murray doesn’t believe Los Angeles is willing to extend itself for a long-term deal for Tucker, which has been a commonly-shared sentiment throughout the offseason.
The Mets might be the more pressing threat, as New York’s deep pockets rival both Toronto’s and Los Angeles’, plus their offseason has been such a staggering disappointment that a splash might be what’s needed to boost morale. But New York’s rotation is also a more pressing need than the outfield, and signing both Tucker and Juan Soto to mega-contracts could hamper their ability to address other areas of the roster moving forward.
The only argument against the Blue Jays being the favorites for Tucker at this point is that they might prefer to re-sign Bichette as their big offensive splash of the offseason. But if that were the case, there’s a good chance they would have taken care of business already, as no other team seems to be gung-ho about chasing after Bichette.
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