The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams linked to free-agent hitter Kyle Tucker, who has yet to decide on his future after spending the 2025 MLB season with the Chicago Cubs.
Although the Dodgers downplayed their willingness to spend big money, they went after the biggest name in the closer market in former New York Mets star Edwin Diaz. Moreover, the reigning World Series champions might not stop there.
On December 9, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported, citing a person briefed on the team’s plans, that the Dodgers would entertain a shorter three-to-four-year deal for Tucker with a high annual average value.
With many waiting for the Tucker domino to fall, MLB Network’s insider Jon Morosi shared the latest on the outfielder.
“Kyle Tucker is the man that so many people in the industry are focused on,” Morosi said during a December 15 appearance on MLB Network. “What we know at this hour is the following. He has made a visit to the Blue Jays spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, which is very near to where he grew up and where he lives. We do believe the Jays will be in there until the end. What we don’t know is exactly who else will be in there as the finalists making the last pitches for Kyle Tucker.
“Two teams right now stand out to me? The Dodgers and the Yankees. Will Tucker’s representation circle back around with those two large market teams, two of the great Titans of our industry, to see if they will meet or exceed whatever numbers have been mentioned by the Blue Jays’ side.”
Ken Rosenthal on Kyle Tucker Visiting Blue Jays
The visit that Morosi mentions stems from a December 3 report by The Athletic, citing a league source, that Tucker toured the Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla. That set the stage for MLB insider Ken Rosenthal to weigh in on how Toronto might position itself ahead of the competition in pursuing Tucker.
“What’s interesting about this is that prior to last night, the Jays’ interest in Kyle Tucker was rumored, but it was never really confirmed or even seemed to be something that the club was prioritizing,” Rosenthal said on the December 4 edition of “Fair Territory.” “We know that they signed the two starting pitchers, Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.
“We didn’t know exactly what they were doing on the position side, but they had interest, perhaps in Tucker and certainly in resigning Bo Bichette. So this is a clear indication of their interest. Whether it indicates they’re going to sign Tucker remains to be seen.
“And let’s not get carried away with that idea. You remember Shohei Ohtani, a couple of years ago, visiting the Jays Training Complex in Dunedin, didn’t sign. This is a normal thing for players to do. And Kyle Tucker does live in Tampa, which is a short drive from Dunedin. So really for him, hop, skip, and a jump, no big deal to go there. But at the same time, I don’t want to underplay this.”
Kyle Tucker Could Benefit From Choosing the Dodgers
The December 9 report from The Athletic also suggested Los Angeles is not expected to put a six- or seven-year contract on the table for Tucker. Even so, a shorter agreement could still make plenty of sense, especially given the situation he would be stepping into with the Dodgers.
Tucker is known for keeping a low profile, and that approach could fit well in Los Angeles. While joining a smaller market is one way to stay out of the spotlight, playing for the Dodgers might offer something similar, as Tucker would likely rank only as the club’s fifth or sixth most prominent name.
