Having already committed $240 million this offseason on starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, the Toronto Blue Jays, MLB’s reigning American League champions, are seemingly not done just yet.
Top free-agent hitter Kyle Tucker toured the Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The recently renovated facilities are one of Toronto’s top selling points to major free agents, with Shohei Ohtani creating a stir by touring the complex before ultimately signing a 10-year, $700 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season.
Tucker’s visit to Dunedin was first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided.
Talk of Toronto signing Tucker, a 28-year-old outfielder projected to sign for over $450 million by The Athletic’s Tim Britton, has not been overwhelmingly loud within the Blue Jays’ organization. But bringing Tucker to Dunedin may signal real interest in another major free-agent addition. For a Jays team that is already set to enter 2026 with a franchise-record Opening Day payroll, the addition of Tucker would represent continued unprecedented spending for a club looking to return to the World Series.
As a corner outfielder, Tucker brings speed, power and contact. Owner of a career .865 OPS, he has hit 20 or more homers and stolen at least 10 bases in each of the last five seasons. Although he missed time to injuries in each of the last two years, Tucker is the exact kind of elite left-handed hitter the Jays would love to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the top of their lineup.
Last season, the Jays cycled through several lefty bats ahead of Guerrero, including Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger. The lineup flourished, finishing fourth in runs scored (798) and third in OPS (.760) during the regular season before leading the postseason in OPS (.823), homers (28) and slugging (.471). But Tucker, a four-time All Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner and one-time Gold Glove winner, would take Toronto’s lineup to a new level.
The trip to Toronto’s Dunedin complex likely was not terribly far for Tucker, who was born in Tampa and still resides just a short drive from Toronto’s development complex. But the Jays view the new labs, fresh fields and massive workout facility in Dunedin — all part of a $100 million rebuild completed in 2020 — as a clear lure for free agents.
Rogers Centre, Toronto’s home park, underwent a similar upgrade of player facilities ahead of the 2024 season.
Ultimately, though, landing a free agent of Tucker’s calibre will come down to money, not fresh facilities and new hitting labs. After agreeing to two of free agency’s biggest contracts so far this offseason, signing Tucker would require an even bigger commitment. As the Jays still linger in the market for infielder Bo Bichette and seek an addition at the back of the bullpen, their interest in free agency’s biggest target is now evident.
Leave a Reply