Kyle Tucker’s free agency has largely been a mystery. All we know is that the superstar outfielder met with the Toronto Blue Jays and toured the teams’ facility in Dunedin, Florida, as first reported by FanSided. The Blue Jays have brought social media into it too.
I’d caution this. Let’s not interpret the silence as a lack of interest. Quite the opposite, really. There is plenty of interest in Tucker, as there should be for a five-tool player of his caliber. So let’s dive into why he’s still on the market and what his market could potentially look like.
Why is Kyle Tucker not signed?
It takes time for $400-300 million contracts to come together. It obviously takes the agent and general managers being involved. But for deals of that magnitude, it always reaches ownership level, and getting ownership approval on offers — and especially done deals — isn't a quick process.
From a player's perspective, why rush to sign? Tucker visited the Blue Jays and surely will want to take other visits to gather as much information on teams before the bidding gets serious. After all, this contract will surely last the remainder of his career. Besides, the only star players to sign thus far are Dylan Cease and Pete Alonso. Besides that, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, Munetaka Murakami and others remain unsigned.
So yes, while it would be great for Tucker to sign now, let’s be patient.
What teams are circling Kyle Tucker?
Almost every team could use a player of Kyle Tucker’s caliber. He can hit for power. He can hit for average. He plays Gold Glove caliber defense. He’s great in the clubhouse. At 28, he’s coming off a season in which he hit .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI despite dealing with a nagging finger injury for a good portion of the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers make sense. They love star players. They are open to adding another star player, although Andrew Friedman doesn’t know the likelihood. Adding Tucker to an already stacked lineup while infusing some youth to the lineup would be smart. All reports from Los Angeles suggest that the Dodgers would be open to a short-term deal, though it’s unclear how Tucker would feel about that.
New York Mets
The New York Mets feel like a team that needs to make a splash, with their offseason frustrating fans after losing Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo. Tucker adds both offense and defense to the mix, something that the Mets are prioritizing as they look to improve their run-prevention unit. And we all know Steve Cohen has the money to sign any player he wants.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are the other team here that makes so much sense for Tucker. 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.
There are surely other teams interested in Tucker. A player of his caliber has many teams involved in the market and as the offseason progresses, others will check in as well. And when he eventually signs, the contract he lands will reflect the talent that he is a franchise-altering, elite player.