Oct 2, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) is greeted in the dugout after scoring against the San Diego Padres during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Sources: Mets met with free agent star Kyle Tucker

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Pat Ragazzo | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 9:46 PM ET

The New York Mets have met with free agent superstar Kyle Tucker, as multiple sources told Mets On SI.

The meeting was said to have went well and the Mets are cautiously optimistic about their chances in the race for Tucker.

Jim Duquette of Sirius XM and SNY was the first to report on this meeting.

In addition to the Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers have also met with the outfielder either in person or via zoom, per Duquette.

A League source confirmed to me that the three main teams involved in the Tucker negotiations (Tor, LAD, NYM) have all met with the player, either in person or over Zoom, as part of the recruiting process for a star player. Will be interesting to see if any of the 3 teams…
— Jim Duquette (@JimDuquetteGM) January 12, 2026

Tucker would be a significant acquisition for the Mets, who will look a lot different in 2026 after losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz in free agency and trading away franchise mainstays Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil this offseason.

Should the Mets sign Tucker, he could potentially take over right field duties which would push Juan Soto to left field or vice versa. The Mets have Tyrone Taylor, Carson Benge and Jett Williams set to compete for the center field job in their outfield.

Tucker, a left-handed bat, would provide proper lineup protection to Soto and Francisco Lindor after the Mets lost Alonso and Nimmo in the middle of the order.

Tucker, 28, is coming off a season where he slashed .266/.377/.464 with a .841 OPS, 22 home runs, 73 RBI and a 4.6 bWAR for the Chicago Cubs in 136 games. However, injuries have plagued the superstar in the past two seasons and caused an abysmal second half in Chicago in 2025.

For his career, Tucker has been one of the best and most consistent outfielders in all of baseball. In eight big-league seasons, Tucker has made the All-Star team a total of four times, while slashing .273/.358/.507 with a .865 OPS, 147 homers and 490 RBI.

Defensively, Tucker had -2 Outs Above Average and -1 defensive runs saved in right field last season. But between 2021-2024 with the Houston Astros, Tucker posted a combined total of 30 defensive runs saved in right. A healthy Tucker would likely enhance Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns' plan of run prevention by upgrading the team's defense.

Following a slow collapse where they missed out on the postseason by just one game, the Mets have frustrated their fans this offseason by overhauling their roster. That being said, the addition of Tucker would change the attitude of the fan base and ultimately increase the Mets' chances of contending for the playoffs and World Series in 2026.

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