2026 has begun, yet Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez and other big names remain available on the free agency market. Blame can be placed in all kinds of directions for MLB's slow-moving offseason, but with less than two months to go until spring training, the fact of the matter is that moves will be made sooner rather than later.
The latest MLB rumors from The Athletic's ($) Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon involve the doings of some of MLB's biggest markets and most likely World Series contenders: the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker is the Blue Jays' best fit
The Toronto Blue Jays made yet another addition over the weekend, winning the Kazuma Okamoto sweepstakes on Saturday and adding him to an already stacked infield. While Okamoto's contact-oriented swing fits the Blue Jays like a glove, the move came as a bit of a surprise given the team's glut of infielders. Toronto now has five starting-caliber infielders for four spots (Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, Andres Gimenez and Okamoto), and they're still reportedly eyeing one more big bat.
That big bat could easily be Bo Bichette, a player whom the Jays know very well and could easily make room for by playing Barger and even Okamoto in the outfield. But is Bichette really the best fit? On the contrary, that's looking more like Kyle Tucker.
"With outfielders George Springer and Daulton Varsho both entering their free-agent years, Tucker still makes sense for the Jays as well. If there’s one thing Toronto’s lineup still requires, it’s a left-handed slugger," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
Tucker makes too much sense for the Jays. They have a ton of infielders, Tucker is a better player than Bichette and, as noted above, both Springer and Daulton Varsho are in their contract years, so the need in the outfield could be extremely pressing come 2027.
Even without Tucker, Toronto is probably the favorites to represent the AL in the World Series right now. With him, they'll have as good a chance as any team at dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cubs unlikely to make necessary free agency splashes
The Blue Jays are an example of a big-market team trying to win by throwing a ton of money around. The Chicago Cubs are the opposite of that: They play in a huge market, yet have shown little interest in spending in recent years. For those hoping for a change of heart from Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer, though, don't hold your breath.
"The industry-wide skepticism of Imai might very well be warranted," Rosenthal and Sammon write. "The Cubs, though, still need a starting pitcher (Zac Gallen?). And a top-flight bat to replace Tucker (Bregman?). Based on their recent history, it’s probably best to bet the under."
Refusing to sign Tatsuya Imai makes some sense, given the fact that he comes with a good amount of risk, but who are the Cubs going to sign instead? As Rosenthal and Sammon note, the Cubs are in need of a frontline starter and a big bat to replace the likely departure of Tucker. As they also say, it's probably best to bet the under, meaning the Cubs will accomplish only one of these two goals at most.
As predictable as this might be, it's equally disappointing. Chicago could be a serious threat in the National League with a couple of notable additions. Nobody is asking them to spend like the Blue Jays or Dodgers, yet they're spending like a mid-market team at best. With Tucker likely to leave and the Cubs unlikely to make a needle-moving addition, it's hard to expect much in 2026.
Dodgers looming in star markets
The Los Angeles Dodgers followed up their World Series win by signing Edwin Diaz shortly thereafter, but they've been mostly quiet since. They'd be favorites to three-peat as champions regardless of how the offseason concludes, but that doesn't mean this team is done. In fact, Rosenthal and Sammon hint at the possibility of them making another big move.
"Dodgers people like to say that Andrew Friedman’s preferred method of operation is 'hanging around the backboard.' If a player’s price in trade or free agency drops, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations will attempt to grab him on the rebound and dunk on the industry yet again."
Essentially, the Dodgers are lurking in the background, waiting for prices to drop and for the right time to strike. That time isn't right now, but the longer the offseason drags on, the more likely it is that stars will become more open to short-term, high-AAV deals. Rosenthal and Sammon even name Tucker as a potential option, labeling him "a classic Friedman add" on a short-term, high-AAV deal.
Now, if other teams start becoming aggressive, the likelihood is that stars like Tucker, Bichette and others won't fall into the Dodgers' laps. But the fact that they're looming is a bit worrisome for the other 29 fan bases, who can only hope that teams start stepping up before L.A. pounces.
More MLB offseason news and analysis: