Kyle Tucker rumors: Why Blue Jays are favored, Cubs backup plan, Yankees out?

With the Winter Meetings officially underway, MLB rumors are swirling at a rapid pace. Rumors involving any prominent free agent are prevalent now, but this especially goes for the crown jewel of this offseason's class, Kyle Tucker. He might not be Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, but Tucker is a superstar in his own right, bound to make at least $300 million in his new deal.

With that in mind, the latest rumors involving Tucker link him in different ways to the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Let's dive in.

It sure sounds like the Yankees are out on Kyle Tucker

Once the offseason began, the New York Yankees felt like one of the most realistic Tucker landing spots, and it wasn't hard to see why. They had two outfield vacancies and could have really used a second superstar to pair with Aaron Judge. Well, roughly one month into the offseason, it sounds like the Yankees are all but out on Tucker entirely based on the latest reports.

The bottom two bullet points in this tweet are eye-opening. Not only has Tucker not visited the Yankees' complex, but Brian Cashman believes that the Yankees' lineup is too left-handed right now. Tucker, as MLB fans know, has already visited the Toronto Blue Jays' complex, and is also a left-handed hitter.

Now, there's still ample time for Tucker to visit the Yankees' complex, but he will always be left-handed. Will Cashman be willing to add another lefty to a lineup full of them? It doesn't sound like he'd be thrilled with that outcome. These factors, combined with owner Hal Steinbrenner crying poor earlier this winter, make it feel like Tucker is nothing more than a pipe dream for the Yankees, which really shouldn't be the case.

Cubs considering Alex Bregman as Kyle Tucker backup plan

For reasons only owner Tom Ricketts can explain, the Chicago Cubs have not been considered serious players in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes since the offseason began, and the latest report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale didn't change that. In fact, Nightengale revealed a possible Tucker backup plan instead.

"Third baseman Alex Bregman is back in free agency, too, after opting out of $80 million over two years with the Boston Red Sox. He won’t get the $40 million a year he walked away from, but will have the same teams interested in his services as a year ago: Boston, Detroit and the Chicago Cubs. Yet, the Tigers and Cubs proved they can win without him, while the Cubs found out that rookie Matt Shaw is certainly capable of being an everyday third baseman. If the Cubs sign Bregman, they could shift Shaw to second base," Nightengale wrote.

For a second straight offseason, the Cubs are being linked to Alex Bregman in free agency. Last offseason it made a lot of sense, as Matt Shaw had yet to debut and the Cubs needed a big bat, but does it still make sense this winter?

Sure, the Cubs could sign Bregman and move Shaw to second base, as Nightengale suggested, but then what does that mean for Nico Hoerner, a player who had a higher fWAR (4.8) than Tucker (4.5) in 2025? Should the Cubs really want to trade him? They could also replace Shaw with Bregman outright at third base, but Shaw had a strong second half of his rookie season (130 wRC+), and is a guy deserving of regular playing time.

If the Cubs are going to spend big money on a non-Tucker free agent, it should be in the rotation. Letting Tucker walk isn't great, but if the Cubs are set on doing that, they ought to pursue a starter before they consider making it work with Bregman, a 31-year-old whose best days might very well be behind him.

Hidden reason shows why Blue Jays should be seen as favorites for Kyle Tucker

The Toronto Blue Jays have gotten off to a fast start this offseason, signing both Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to fortify their rotation, and they aren't slowing down. They're considered one of the favorites to sign Tucker, and based on Nightengale's latest, they arguably should be considered the favorites.

"Tucker, who doesn’t have to be the primary star with Vladimir Guerrero entrenched as the face of the Blue Jays, could be the perfect fit," Nightengale wrote.

Nightengale seems to be hinting at the fact that Tucker doesn't want to be a primary star with all of the pressure and expectations on his shoulders. If he were to re-sign with the Cubs, he'd be the guy. In Toronto, though, the Jays are Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s team. Tucker would not be the face of the franchise, and can play Robin to Guerrero's Batman.

If, indeed, this is something Tucker values, the Jays become even more intriguing. They're already a World Series-contending team with tons of money to spend, so if Tucker wants to be a secondary star, what more does he want that the Jays can't offer?

Tucker probably won't sign during the Winter Meetings themselves, but don't be surprised if he ends up north of the border sooner rather than later.

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