The Los Angeles Dodgers won the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes. Yes, the two-time defending World Series champions signed the 28-year-old superstar to a four-year, $240 million deal, per FanSided's Robert Murray, forming one of the most talented rosters in MLB history in the process.
Free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a four-year, $240 million contract, according to sources familiar with the deal. It includes an opt out after year two.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 16, 2026
This outcome leaves the New York Mets and other teams vying for his services scrambling. Here's how they should pivot following the Tucker whiff.
New York Mets
Ideal backup plan: Sign Framber Valdez to short-term, high-AAV deal
White smoke did not come out of the Home Run Apple at Citi Field, no matter how badly Steve Cohen wanted it to. Losing out on Tucker after the New York Mets let Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz walk in free agency is a heartbreaking outcome for a heartbroken fan base. While the need for an outfielder is abundantly clear, the Mets should re-allocate some of the funds they would've spent on Tucker to their rotation. Framber Valdez is the best available option there.
No, I wouldn't give 32-year-old Valdez the long-term deal he's likely seeking, but absurdly high AAVs on short-term deals are very enticing at a certain point. I mean, just ask Tucker, who everyone assumed wanted to sign a deal that'd cover the remainder of his career.
Pulling off a trade for Freddy Peralta might be more intriguing, but he'd cost a lot more in prospect capital than Valdez would as a free agent who rejected the qualifying offer, and is a free agent after the year. Valdez would give the rotation the innings eater and stabilizer it desperately needs and drastically raise the floor of this team.
Toronto Blue Jays
Ideal backup plan: Re-sign Bo Bichette
The Toronto Blue Jays prioritized signing Tucker over re-signing Bo Bichette, and it isn't hard to see why. Not only is Tucker a better player than Bichette, but after signing Kazuma Okamoto, the Jays had a ton of infielders and a clear spot to play Tucker in their outfield. Well, now that the Tucker dream is dead, it's time for the Jays to circle back to the Bichette market and re-sign their homegrown star.
Bichette is not nearly as clean a fit as Tucker, but this lineup would still work out quite nicely.
Order | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
1 | George Springer | DH |
2 | Addison Barger | RF |
3 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 1B |
4 | Bo Bichette | 2B |
5 | Anthony Santander | LF |
6 | Alejandro Kirk | C |
7 | Daulton Varsho | CF |
8 | Kazuma Okamoto | 3B |
9 | Andres Gimenez | SS |
Making Ernie Clement a utility player after setting a record for most hits in a postseason feels wrong, but there are ways to get him plenty of at-bats. He can start over Andres Gimenez against a tough lefty. He can play third base, moving Okamoto to the outfield on occasion or simply replacing Okamoto outright. He could even spell Bichette at second base on days he'd need off. The Jays have many versatile players and can make this work.
The bottom line here is the Jays, as constructed, are a bat short. Bichette might not be Tucker, but he's as good a consolation prize as Jays fans could hope for. Stealing him away from a Philadelphia Phillies team that appears to be aggressively in on him might be a tall task, but Bichette feels like a must if the Jays want to remain the Dodgers' biggest threats.
New York Yankees
Ideal backup plan: Re-sign Cody Bellinger
At no point were the New York Yankees seriously linked to Tucker, but they absolutely should've been. He might not be Juan Soto, but he could've had a Juan Soto-type of impact hitting in front of Aaron Judge in the Bronx, and knowing that Tucker took a short-term deal, there's no excuse for the Yankees not to have been in.
However, the Tucker signing reinforces the need to re-sign Cody Bellinger. Now that the Mets and Blue Jays missed on their top target, perhaps they'll be enticed to sign the new best outfielder available. This especially applies to the Mets, who need an outfielder.
The Yankees re-signing Bellinger after the Jays whiffed on Tucker could help them pick up some of the ground they lost after the Jays landed Okamoto and Dylan Cease this offseason. All Yankees fans can hope for is that New York and Scott Boras can bridge the gap sooner rather than later now that Tucker is officially off the board.