It’s easy to get caught in all of the rumors and noise of the Major League Baseball offseason.
If you’re a Toronto Blue Jays fan, it’s been a good offseason. Toronto signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal and reportedly is in agreement on a three-year deal with fellow starter Cody Ponce. That’s a good start to the offseason, to say the least. More headlines were made on Wednesday as the Blue Jays reportedly hosted top free agent, Kyle Tucker, at the team’s facility in Dunedin, Florida. FanSided’s Robert Murray broke the news of the visit.
If the Blue Jays were to land Tucker, that would significantly move the needle. But there’s no reason to get ahead of ourselves yet. Sportsnet Blue Jays insider Ben Nicholson-Smith followed up on the Tucker reports and noted that it doesn’t guarantee that the club is “genuinely involved” in the sweepstakes, and a visit is simply part of the process. Nicholson-Smith also noted that it’s “possible” that the Blue Jays don’t land Tucker or homegrown All-Star Bo Bichette.
“A visit does indicate that the Blue Jays are genuinely involved with Tucker, but it’s also a relatively standard part of recruiting a high-profile free agent and doesn’t mean Tucker’s anywhere near making a decision,” Nicholson-Smith wrote. “It would be a surprise if Tucker didn’t also visit some other rumoured suitors such as the (New York Yankees), (Los Angeles Dodgers), or (Philadelphia Phillies) as his market develops.
“Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will stay in touch with other players, including their own homegrown star. Along with Tucker, the Blue Jays have interest in Bo Bichette, who’s also hitting free agency for the first time. As of Wednesday, it appears extremely unlikely the Blue Jays would land both players, and it’s possible that they don’t land either one.”
We’ve already seen star-studded moves get done around the league this offseason, but it’s still very early. It’s fun to think about Tucker donning a Blue Jays jersey, but it doesn’t appear as though anything is imminent.
