Mar 18, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Mets' Kyle Tucker interest gets encouraging insider update

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The New York Mets did not have a good day on December 9. The biggest reason for this is that their longtime closer, Edwin Diaz, spurned their three-year, $66 million contract offer to sign a three-year, $69 million deal with the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Regardless of what David Stearns or anyone else wants to say, this was a crushing blow for New York's fan base. Even if Devin Williams returns to form and is a dominant closer for the Mets next season, not having Diaz on the roster makes it feel like the Mets' bullpen is in a worse position than it was just a few days ago.

What's more, Kyle Schwarber (whom the Mets were courting) signed a five-year, $150 million deal to return to New York's NL East rival, the Philadelphia Phillies, on Tuesday. This was a tough 1-2 punch for Mets fans to deal with.

But December 10 is a new day, and the franchise must look forward rather than backward. One silver lining of these two signings is that it affords the front office more money to pursue some of the other top free agents available. And it puts added pressure on Stearns to get a deal with one of these top players done.

Insider Provides Update on Mets' Kyle Tucker Pursuit

In addition to Pete Alonso, most Mets fans would probably agree that Kyle Tucker is the free agent they would love to have on their roster this winter.

And it seems that New York is still showing a lot of interest, which New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman conveyed with a December 10 X post that read, "Mets, Yankees and most all big-market teams (and some others — Orioles) have checked in on Kyle Tucker, one of 5 players to post at least a 4 WAR each of the last 5 seasons (Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Ramirez)".

Mets, Yankees and most all big-market teams (and some others — Orioles) have checked in on Kyle Tucker, one of 5 players to post at least a 4 WAR each of the last 5 seasons (Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Ramirez)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2025

While Tucker is expected to command somewhere between $350-$400 million this winter, losing out on Diaz and Schwarber means that much more in the Mets' budget to use on Tucker. And while there is clearly a lot of competition to secure Tucker's services, the Mets are better positioned than just about anybody else to get a deal with him done, if only because of owner Steve Cohen's nearly bottomless pockets.

What's for sure is that if Tucker signs with the Mets, it will make missing out on Edwin Diaz much easier to stomach.

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This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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