Blue Jays free agency: Kyle Tucker makes perfect sense as an offseason addition

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off their first trip to the World Series in 32 years. Now, there is so much hype around the ball club, and because of that, it looks like they are going to be big players in free agency this winter.

Obviously, their first priority still appears to be re-signing Bo Bichette, who has been a Blue Jay for 10 seasons. But it has also been rumoured that they have significant interest in outfielder Kyle Tucker. On paper, it makes sense. They could use a left-handed power bat that they can insert into their lineup to hit behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, if they can re-sign him.

Blue Jays free agency: Kyle Tucker makes perfect sense as an offseason addition

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Blue Jays are one of the teams he is hearing as a favorite for Tucker.

"You've heard the same teams named all week, the Yankees, the Phillies, the Dodgers. The one team I heard more than anybody else connected to Tucker was the Blue Jays. Obviously right now [the Blue Jays have] all the momentum in the world coming off the World Series appearance... I think Tucker is certainly going to be in the mix there in Toronto," says Feinsand.

If Toronto can find a way to land Tucker, he would bring a ton to their lineup. Last season, he had 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 133 hits, and a .266 batting average in 500 at-bats. He also added 25 stolen bases and a 4.6 WAR. That would be a huge addition to the Blue Jays lineup, especially with him being a left-handed bat. It would give them power from both sides of the plate in the middle of their order, which would make them harder to face.

Tucker, 28, is also a four-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove winner, and he won the World Series in 2022 with the Houston Astros. Over Tucker’s eight-year career, he has tallied 748 hits, 147 home runs, 490 RBI, 119 stolen bases, and a .273 career batting average. He has been one of the better power-hitting outfielders in the league. And if the Blue Jays can sign him, it could potentially make Anthony Santander expendable.

After spending 2025 with the Chicago Cubs, Tucker has now opted for free agency. He is projected to sign a 10-year, $400 million contract, which carries an average annual value (AAV) of $40 million per season.

Tucker could be a drastic improvement over Santander, who missed the majority of the season due to injuries. The addition of Tucker could essentially take away a lot of playing time from Santander he could look for a trade in order to give himself a fresh start.