Kyle Tucker might not be as good a player as Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani, but he's still this offseason's best free agent, no matter how badly Scott Boras might want people to disagree, and a lock to get more than $300 million from a team. The only question is where he will sign.
Odds are, Tucker will land with one of the few big-market suitors linked to him. That's just how free agency works when we're talking about the superstars. With that being said, not all of those teams have a desperate need for Tucker. Every team would be better with Tucker on it, obviously, but some will be just fine without him. Given that, here's a look at which teams should be the most desperate to sign the prized free agent.
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New York Mets
The New York Mets have the richest owner in the league and are coming off an embarrassing season, so it's only natural to expect them to be in on the best free agent available. As fun as it'd be, does it really make sense?
How exactly does Tucker fit? They just signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal. As much as they should consider DHing him, they won't do that in year two of his deal. Brandon Nimmo is entering the fourth year of an eight-year, $162 million deal. His defense is rapidly declining, but he, too, won't be an everyday DH, nor should he be playing any center field to accommodate Tucker.
The Mets could trade Nimmo, but doing so is easier said than done with his contract, and he has a no-trade clause. Even if they found a deal of their liking, Nimmo would probably nix it. Odds are, he'll be the Mets' Opening Day left fielder. With both corner outfield spots filled, should they desperately be throwing money at Tucker? The Mets need to spend Steve Cohen's money on positions of need, primarily center field, first base and especially pitching, before pursuing Tucker. The corner outfield is one area where they're set.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers do, actually, have a major hole in their corner outfield. Teoscar Hernandez occupies one spot, but Michael Conforto had an abysmal regular season, and while Kiké Hernandez is a postseason legend, he probably shouldn't be an everyday regular. He also happens to be a free agent. Tucker would be a great fit on paper for the back-to-back defending champions.
Therein lies why the Dodgers don't need Tucker, though. They're back-to-back defending champions despite their outfield hole. Whether they sign Tucker or not, they'd almost certainly be favorites to three-peat. They rank ahead of the Mets because they actually do have a hole to fill, and they figure to actually be in on Tucker, but they'll be just fine whether they get him or not.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays figure to be a major player in the Tucker sweepstakes after falling in heartbreaking fashion in the World Series, but again, we're talking about need. Do the Blue Jays really need him as badly as other teams do? Just look at what we saw this postseason without Tucker as an example.
The Jays weren't just good, they were historically great in the postseason, even with George Springer playing at less than 100 percent and Anthony Santander being a non-factor. They pummeled opponents all October long. This lineup also happens to be flush with outfielders, with guys like Springer, Santander, Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho and Nathan Lukes as options for John Schneider to turn to.
Could the Blue Jays use another bat? Absolutely. They absolutely should pursue Tucker and/or Bo Bichette because there's always room for improvement, but I'd argue their most pressing needs are on the pitching side. The Jays could really use another frontline starter and some bullpen help, even more than Tucker.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs absolutely should try to re-sign Tucker. They were at their best when Tucker was in the lineup producing at an MVP level, as he was in the first half of the season. It's laughable that it's unlikely that they'll end up re-signing him. While they absolutely should go after him, it's hard to argue that they're one of the three suitors that need him the most. Their projected lineup without Tucker is a big reason why.
Cubs Batting Order | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
1 | Michael Busch | 1B |
2 | Nico Hoerner | 2B |
3 | Ian Happ | LF |
4 | Seiya Suzuki | RF |
5 | Moises Ballesteros | DH |
6 | Carson Kelly | C |
7 | Pete Crow-Armstrong | CF |
8 | Dansby Swanson | SS |
9 | Matt Shaw | 3B |
They're missing the Tucker element that can bring this offense from really good to elite, but where is the true weakness here? Not to mention, top prospect Owen Caissie can easily slot into an everyday outfield role, too.
The Cubs could use Tucker, obviously, but their priority should be on the pitching side before it's on Tucker. They should be able to do both, but with this ownership group, the Cubs need to prioritize pitching before Tucker.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have made just one World Series appearance since winning it all in 2009, and that was in their 2024 loss to the Dodgers. They got there mainly on the back of Juan Soto, who then bolted for Queens that offseason. It comes as no coincidence that the only year the Yankees have gotten to the World Series recently was when Aaron Judge had a superstar hitter in front of him in the order. I'm not saying Tucker is Soto, but he is absolutely a superstar who can help carry the load in October.
No disrespect to guys like Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, but the Yankees should be comfortable letting them go if it means Tucker is coming aboard. Grisham and Bellinger are really good, but Tucker is a game-changer.
Tucker should be the Yankees' No. 1 priority. We've seen the Yankees pass on superstars for deals they deem to be more team-friendly too many times. Superstars like Tucker help you win championships. They're good enough to get to the playoffs without him, but it'd be hard to pick them to win it all if they don't let him walk.
Philadelphia Phillies
The biggest reason the Philadelphia Phillies continue to get sent home early is because of their offense. In this year's NLDS, they held the powerful Dodgers to 13 runs in four games, allowing just over three runs per game, yet they were on the losing end of that series because they just couldn't score enough runs. Their superstars deserve most of the blame for that, but their outfielders (Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, Otto Kemp) combined to go 5-for-42 (.119 BA) with no home runs in the series. They did not help at all.
In the regular season, Phillies outfielders ranked 21st in the majors with a 95 wRC+, and that was even with guys like Marsh and Harrison Bader performing better than expected. Marsh figures to occupy one of the three outfield spots, but Bader is a free agent and it's anyone's best guess as to who else will play in the outfield, especially with Castellanos reportedly likely to be traded or released this winter.
There is no better outfielder than Tucker for the Phillies to pursue. The only reason I don't have them at the top of the list is that Kyle Schwarber is a better hitter and I'd argue should be their top target, but Tucker isn't far behind. The Phillies must walk out of this offseason with at least one of those guys (or an equivalent superstar) if they want to be taken seriously as World Series contenders in 2025.
San Francisco Giants
Despite trading for Rafael Devers midseason, the San Francisco Giants ranked 17th in runs scored, 19th in home runs, and 22nd in OPS. Even after acquiring Deversl, they had a 99 wRC+ as a team, good for 17th in the majors. Their offense was subpar by just about every metric, and that's the biggest reason they missed the playoffs. Their right fielders, in particular, performing as poorly as they did is the biggest reason why they struggled.
Giants right fielders posted a 78 wRC+ on the year, good for 28th in the majors. Mike Yastrzemski, a guy they traded away at the deadline, was their only league-average hitter at the position all year. As fun a player as Drew Gilbert is, he isn't exactly the solution on a team that's striving to contend right now.
If the Giants sign Tucker and add him to a lineup that includes Devers, Heliot Ramos, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, suddenly they have a lineup capable of getting to the postseason and potentially making things interesting. The Giants passing on Tucker would likely result in more of the same. Why should anyone believe this offense will be good enough without a superstar addition? The fact that Tucker plays right field, their worst position in 2025, makes this such an easy decision, too.