The Toronto Blue Jays head into the offseason looking to find a way to improve after a run to the World Series and coming within two outs of claiming their first championship in over three decades.
It’s quite the task ahead of general manager Ross Atkins as he tries to navigate making a team that just nearly won it all even better, but rumors are flying with free agency now really getting underway.
One of those rumors seemed too good to be true for fans in Toronto, but it continues to gain steam. After falling short on numerous top free agents the last couple of years, the Blue Jays have been reported to be going after another in now former Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros superstar Kyle Tucker.
According to one of baseball’s most prominent insiders in Jeff Passan of ESPN though, Toronto isn’t just pursuing Tucker; they’re the favorite to land him.
Blue Jays Named as Favorite to Sign Kyle Tucker by Jeff Passan
“Tucker is unquestionably the top player among free agents this winter, a 28-year-old with a career OPS+ of 140 and the sort of power-speed-defense combination that will secure him at least $300 million and perhaps more than $400 million,” Passan wrote Tuesday.
“The Blue Jays, coming off their first World Series berth in more than three decades, have no plans to slow down. They are considered the favorite by other executives to land Tucker.”
Though it does not guarantee anything, someone as notable as Passan saying that he has heard from executives that their biggest expectation for Tucker is signing with Toronto is extremely notable. The Blue Jays have to land the plane, but it does seem like the noise connecting them to the slugger is legitimate and real.
If Toronto is able to somehow land Tucker, it would be arguably the biggest free agent signing in the history of the franchise.
Tucker is Perfect Addition to Keep Blue Jays On Top of American League
Toronto was able to get to the World Series largely because of how wide open the American League was all season, and taking advantage by getting hot at the right time. Now is not the time to get complacent, however, with a chance to establish themselves as a heavy favorite for their second straight pennant.
In the last four seasons, Tucker has accounted for a collective bWAR over 20 with a slash line of .272/.366/.502, good for 30+ home runs when he’s healthy and elite in the field as well as on the base paths.
Though he may not be the first name to come up in the superstar conversation, he very much is a bona fide superstar and instantly takes a very solid Blue Jays lineup and makes them arguably the most feared in baseball.
Toronto will have to be willing to make a huge offer, but this is nothing they haven’t done before. They will just have to hope that this time around, the answer when they make that huge offer is different from what it has been in the recent past from others.
